


Beast

by broadway_and_burbank



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Drama & Romance, F/M, Forbidden Love, Human Sven (Disney), I think that's about it, Supernatural Elements, Werewolves, anyway, devils' line au, is it spelled yelana or yelena the world may never know, oh lord what even is this, yes runeard is in this too fuck him, yikes uhhhhh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:34:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 27,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27995346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/broadway_and_burbank/pseuds/broadway_and_burbank
Summary: In a world where werewolves, known as beasts, live amongst humans, giving into their bloodlust can turn them into uncontrollable monsters. Although only a small part of the population, beasts are feared and hated for their monstrous attributes and their tendency to transform at a single drop of blood.In modern-day New York, Anna Andal, a normal college student, is suddenly saved from a beast attack by half-beast Kristoff Bjorgman. An instant attraction leads to genuine feelings as the two grow closer, unable to stay away from each other. However, their ability to build and navigate a relationship is hindered as Anna is pulled deeper into the underbelly of society when a conspiracy against beasts is exposed, and Kristoff struggles against his beast-like instincts to protect her from himself.
Relationships: Anna/Kristoff (Disney)
Comments: 51
Kudos: 45





	1. It Was a Silent Night

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, uhhhhh, if you couldn’t tell already, this is a very obvious Devils’ Line au, but like I had to do it lmao. I kept the same plotlines, but switched up some things. I’m mostly writing this to work on writing action, because I’m not great at it, and as a self-indulgent mess, because supernatural romances are my shit.
> 
> Where to start with this one lmao. I wrote seven chapters of this in like June and haven’t written a sentence of anything since. Decided I should post the chapters I do have because maybe then I’d have the motivation to start writing again.

Anna’s eyes widened as she scrolled through the article on her phone screen.

_Third Victim Found in Beast Murders._

The article went into graphic detail how the young woman was found gracelessly in an alley, mauled mercilessly beyond recognition. Just like the last two.

Shuttering, Anna shut off her phone and placed it face down on her desk. These beast serial killings were only the newest in a long history of all the senseless killing they’d done. She didn’t think of herself as judgmental, but the thought of what they could do put her on edge. Everyone said it was just in their DNA – they were dangerous.

“Don’t you think so, Anna?”

“Hm?” Hearing her name, Anna looked up at her classmate, Julie, who was leaning against her desk.

“Don’t you think that Sierra should just ask Liam out already?” Julie asked, smirking at their other friend.

“Julie! Shh!” Sierra looked around nervously, but the students slowly filling the classroom were involved in their own conversations, and the object of her affection was on the other side of the room invested in his phone.

“It’s obvious that you like him.” Julie shrugged. “Finals are in two weeks, then you won’t have class with him anymore. Come on, it’s the twenty-first century; _you_ can ask _him,_ you know.”

“I know…”

Anna smiled reassuringly. “The worst that could happen is he says no.”

“That’s what I’m sacred of!” Sierra crossed her arms.

With a glint her eye, Julie turned her attention to Anna. “What about you?” She didn’t even try to hide her grin.

“W-what?” Anna’s smile dropped, knowing what her friend was suggesting.

“Yeah, how’s it going with you-know-who?” Sierra asked, joining Julie in the teasing.

Now, it was Anna’s turn to get flustered as she looked around to make sure she-knew-who wasn’t in class yet. Sighing in relief when she realized he wasn’t there, she turned back around. “Guys, just…don’t tease him when he comes in, okay? It’s been kinda weird since I turned him down.”

“Yeah.” Dropping into her seat next to Sierra, Julie turned around to face the redhead. “You broke his little heart. Oh, well.” She smiled. “Anyway, I’ve thought of someone else for you.”

“What? Who?” Anna asked, curiosity overtaking her guilty feelings.

Julie casually turned her head over her shoulder. Sierra and Anna following her line of sight.

Their professor was at the front of the room, organizing papers at his desk. Looking up, he caught Anna’s eye and smiled.

Gaze snapping back to her friends with a blush spreading across her cheeks, Anna lowered her voice in shock. “ _Professor Hans?_ ”

Sierra laughed. “You _are_ his favorite student.”

“He’s our teacher!”

“Only for another week,” Julie pointed out. “Anyway, who even cares? He’s hot.”

Anna peaked over her friend’s shoulder for a discreet look at their professor, who was currently talking to a student who approached his desk.

He _was_ attractive. _Very_ attractive. At only twenty-seven, he was the youngest professor on campus and had a great relationship with all his students. He was one of the ‘cool’ professors who preferred everyone to call him by his first name and actually put effort into making his classes fun. He had no shortage of female admirers.

He was smart and attentive and Anna couldn’t help but blush when he came close to her – “Wait,” she began, coming back to her senses, “isn’t he married?”

“Oh, right.” Sierra nodded. “Yeah, pretty sure his wife had a baby last semester.”

“Ah, shit,” Julie grumbled. “I seriously thought he was kinda into you. Not that you’re not smart or anything, but your grades are _really_ good. Like, too good.”

Anna couldn’t help but giggle at her friends’ dejected expressions, even though she felt a small, ridiculous pang of disappointment as well. As if he would be interested in her even if he weren’t married.

Okay, maybe she had a _teeny_ little crush on him. He was just nice, that was all. And cute.

When the student left his desk, clearly blushing herself, Hans found Anna’s eyes and smiled again.

She only managed to smile back for a moment before getting embarrassed enough to look away. Did she look okay? Did she smile weird? How red was her face?

Anna placed her head on her desk when her friends laughed. “Why am I so awkward?” she muttered.

“Hey, Anna.”

Looking up at the new voice, Anna’s eyes widened as she spied the object of her non-affection, Ethan. “Oh…hi, Ethan.”

He sat at the desk next to her and an awkward silence filled the small friend group.

God, Anna didn’t know _what_ to say to him. They were pretty good friends, but since he’d confessed his feelings towards her, things have just been… _weird._

“Um…Anna?” Ethan asked carefully.

“Yes?” Worried for a moment about what he was going to say, Anna breathed a sigh of relief when he spoke again.

“Can I see your notes from last class?”

“Oh! Yeah – let me just –” She dug into her bag to pull out her notebook.

“Alright, guys,” Professor Hans spoke up from the front of the room. “It’s five – let’s get started.”

\------

“I know that class is only an hour and a half,” Julie complained as they walked through the dark, crowded streets of the city, “but it feels like an eternity.”

“That’s only because you don’t understand what he’s saying,” Sierra pointed out.

It was a quarter before seven, but the sky was pitch black in the December evening. The city glowed with holiday cheer and soggy litter covered the snowy ground.

“I didn’t think puritan literature was going to be this hard!”

“I think it’s interesting,” Anna said. “But you’re right: it makes zero sense sometimes.”

“Let’s pick a time to study for the final together,” Sierra suggested as they reached the stairs for the subway.

“God, _please,_ ” Julie pleaded.

The three girls walked down the brightly lit stairs to the tunnel below. Once getting to the platform, Anna’s heart fell when she spied Ethan waiting for the same train.

“What?” she asked out loud. “What is he doing here?”

Stopping in their tracks, they let people pass them by in the station.

“You should go talk to him,” Sierra told her.

“…you think so?”

“Are you just going to avoid him forever?” Julie asked.

Having to agree with them, Anna took a deep breath and made her way through the semi-crowded subway platform. “Ethan!” she called out, waving to him. “Hi!” It was only going to be awkward if she made it awkward, she decided.

He looked surprised to see her, but happy nonetheless as he smiled. “Anna, hey. Small world, huh?”

“Yup!” She stopped as she made it over to him, feeling much too warm in her winter coat and scarf. “I didn’t know you left from this station, too.”

He shrugged casually. “Yeah, I just decided to take a different way home today.”

Anna simply nodded, finding she couldn’t keep eye contact with him for very long. She really didn’t want things to be awkward, but _she_ was awkward, so how was she supposed to fix this situation? “So…are you ready for finals?” she asked, trying to find something to talk about.

“I’m ready for them to be over, for sure.”

“Oh, yeah, I feel that.” Suddenly, the hairs on the back of Anna’s neck stood on end.

Ethan began talking about the lecture earlier, but she couldn’t focus on anything he said.

Something felt off. She could feel someone watching her.

Looking over her shoulder, Anna scanned the platform. Julie and Sierra were nearby, talking to each other, and no one else seemed to be paying her any attention.

Then she saw him.

Through the other bodies, a pair of dark eyes were trained on her. Anna didn’t know why, but she couldn’t help but gaze back.

The stranger was probably around her age, just a few years older, and _tall._ Very tall and very broad. His jacket was dark, but his blond hair glinted in the fluorescent lights.

Why was he…

“Anna?” Ethan asked, pulling her attention back to him. “Are you alright?”

Anna looked at him before glancing back into the crowd, but the stranger was gone. “Yeah…” She shook off the strange feeling and smiled. “Just thought I saw someone.”

The train came and they boarded a car, standing in the small, crowded space.

“God, did you hear about the latest beast killing?” Julie asked as she looked through her phone.

“Yeah.” Anna felt a shiver go down her spine.

“Why doesn’t the government just lock them up already?”

Anna felt Ethan tense up beside her. This was a rough topic that most people had disagreements about; opinions about the treatment of beasts had been debated for centuries.

Still, they weren’t animals.

“They’re _people,_ ” Anna stressed.

“Barely,” Julie said, not looking up from her phone.

“We just need to be careful,” Sierra said. “Especially since it’s winter; it’s darker for a lot longer.”

The train stopped and they shifted to allow the flow of bodies move around the car.

“Oh my God!” Julie all but shoved her phone in Sierra’s face. “Some guy in Ohio found proof of a UFO on his farm!”

“Now _that_ I don’t believe,” Ethan spoke up.

“Yeah.” Sierra tipped her head. “Don’t tell me you believe in _aliens._ A UFO just means ‘unidentified’. It doesn’t mean aliens.”

“Well, werewolves exist, so why not aliens?” Julia asked.

“We have _proof_ about werewolves.”

As the three of them debated the possibility of extraterrestrial beings, Anna felt her skin prickle once more.

It was the same thing she felt on the platform – she was being watched.

Alert, Anna whipped her head around the packed car. Sure enough, he was there; his dark eyes boring into her light ones.

Eyes widening, Anna’s hands froze on the grab handle.

Who was he? Was he following her? And what could she see in his eyes? Determination, maybe. Maybe…a hint of sadness?

“Your stop is next,” Julie said, tapping Anna on the shoulder, causing her to turn back to her little group.

“Oh, right.”

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Ethan asked, concern in his eyes.

“You do seem a little out of it,” Sierra added.

Anna nodded and smiled. It was probably nothing; she didn’t want to needlessly worry everyone else. “I’m just tired. It’s been a long day.”

“Ugh, you’re telling me,” Julie groaned as the train came to another stop.

Anna bid goodbye to her friends and stepped off, but looked back surprised when Ethan got off as well. “Oh, Ethan, you’re getting off here, too?” she asked as the doors closed and the train left them on the platform.

“Oh, well…” He sighed and shrugged a shoulder. “I…was hoping I could walk you home. Just with everything going on right now, I’d feel better if you weren’t alone. And I…was hoping that we could talk.”

Anna gave him a small smile and nodded. “That sounds great, thank you.”

Walking out into the cold, winter air, Anna shivered and pulled her coat tighter around her. “My place is kinda far from here,” she warned him.

“That’s okay.”

They walked in silence for a bit before Ethan spoke up again. “About what I said the other day…”

“It’s okay,” Anna promised.

“I just…don’t want things to be weird.”

Relieved, Anna smiled. “Me neither. I really like you as a friend, and I’d love for things to go back to normal.”

“I’d like that, too.” His voice was flat, but he gave her a small smile.

“So…friends?” she asked.

“Friends.”

Anna immediately felt lighter as they continued their walk to her apartment.

“But you know,” Ethan began as they waited by a crosswalk, “it does make it easier knowing you don’t have a boyfriend.”

“What?” Anna asked as the walk sign turned and they crossed the street with the crowd. “What are you taking about?”

He shrugged casually. “Just that…if you did have one, I don’t know what I’d do.”

Anna didn’t have time to react to his odd statement before the hair-raising sensation crawled up her back again.

_It couldn’t be…_ She cautiously glanced behind them, and the dark-eyed stranger was waiting on the opposite side of the street. Watching them.

Suddenly, Ethan grabbed her wrist and pulled her along as he began to run. “Let’s find another way,” he yelled back to her. “Something doesn’t feel right.”

“You noticed him, too?” Anna asked as she let him lead her through various dark streets and alleyways.

“Yes – I didn’t want to scare you.”

As they ran, Anna continued to look behind her, but she didn’t see the man anywhere.

After a couple of minutes, Ethan slowed to a stop and they stopped to catch their breath. “I think we got away.”

“Yeah,” Anna panted, glancing around at their surroundings. They were in an unlit alley, dim light filtering in from the street. Ethan was still holding her wrist in his grasp.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m alright.”

Without warning, Ethan pulled her into a hug and held her close.

Anna let him hold her, assuming he was just relieved like she was, but very soon, it began to get uncomfortable.

He wasn’t letting her go.

“Ethan…” she said, beginning to pull away from him. Her breath hitched in her chest when she felt him dig his nose into her hair and breathe in deeply. Immediately, she pushed him away, sufficiently creeped out. “What are you doing?”

Wide-eyed, he looked at her, alarmed. “I…”

“I think he’s gone,” Anna said, starting to pull her hand back to herself. “I should get home.”

Instead of letting go, Ethan’s grip tightened.

A spike of adrenaline ran up Anna’s spine. Something was wrong in his expression. “Um, Ethan, I think we’re fine – you can let go.” She began to tug against his hold. Then she struggled. “Ethan, let go!”

“Julie was right.” He spoke lowly, his head hanging low.

Pausing at his words, Anna stopped pulling and looked up at him. “What?” He wasn’t looking at her.

“Your friend, Julie. She’s right. We are dangerous.” Slowly, he turned his head to look at her.

Anna was silent as he stared at her. _What?_ “Wh-what are you talking about?”

Ethan grabbed her other wrist before Anna could react and pulled her roughly towards him.

Bag slipping down to her elbow, Anna cried out in confusion, heart pounding in her chest. His grip was so strong it hurt, and she couldn’t get away. “Ethan, stop! Let me go!” she screamed, struggling against him.

“I’m so sorry, Anna.” Ethan nuzzled into the side of her neck and inhaled deeply. “I never wanted to hurt you.”

Anna felt like she was going to throw up. “Get off!”

“But I _can’t help myself,_ ” he stressed, his nails feeling sharper than she imagined as they dug into her wrists. “I _need_ you, Anna.”

Blinking back tears of fear and anger, Anna continued to pull at his grasp and stared wide-eyed when he brought his head back up to look at her.

She gasped when, in the darkness, his blue eyes seemed to flash a shade of gold. What was happening? “Ethan…please…” was all she could mutter as she looked into those eyes which no longer looked like his.

Ethan only leaned in and Anna turned her head to avoid him, but instead he licked a long trail up her cheek. She cried out again, then he gripped her even harder.

“Shut up! _Please._ ” He was nearly begging and practically shaking. “I don’t want to hurt you, Anna – please don’t make me hurt you.”

Anna could only tremble at his sudden, violent change.

“I’m so sorry,” he said again, voice deepening. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he repeated. “But I can’t stop myself – I _can’t stop._ ”

Large tears slipped down Anna’s cheeks as she continued to fight him, but he was almost inhumanly strong.

“You’re just so _perfect,_ ” he buried his face in her hair again. “So beautiful and hot-blooded.”

Before she could even register when happened, a strong, warm pair of hands ripped her away from him and shoved her back.

“Get off of her, _beast._ ”

Anna gazed up in shock at her savior – it was the stranger from the subway.

Wait – did he just call Ethan a _beast?_ No…

Ethan eyed him angrily, fists clenched at his sides. “I don’t know who you are, but this doesn’t concern you.”

“I don’t usually ignore it when I come across an assault.”

Anna gasped when Ethan began to shake with fury. His eyes…his irises turned a golden yellow as the pupils expanded. They weren’t the eyes of a human anymore; they were those of…a wolf.

“You’ve been stalking us!” Ethan could barely speak though his clenched teeth.

“Kristoff Bjorgman,” the stranger, Kristoff, said plainly. “With the PSAB. And I wouldn’t be following you if I didn’t have reason to believe that you were about to make this girl your next victim.”

Anna felt her heart stop. His _next_ victim? Did that mean… Her eyes widened.

What could only be described as a snarl left Ethan’s throat as sharpened fangs exposed themselves through a toothy scowl. He loosened his fists, blood streaming down his palms, having been punctured by the sudden claws where his nails should be. He hunched over, shoulders shaking as he growled.

Stunned and shocked by the transformation, Anna took a step back, unable to fully comprehend what was happening in front of her.

“That wasn’t me,” Ethan barked out, taking a stumbling step towards Kristoff.

“Traces of your –” Cutting himself off, Kristoff glanced back at Anna before turning back to the furious beast. “DNA have been found at the crime scenes. You said it yourself: you just can’t stop, right?”

Anna couldn’t breathe. Ethan couldn’t be…no. This wasn’t happening.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Kristoff warned, never taking his eyes off of the beast in front of him. “Once a beast tastes human flesh and blood, they can’t stop. She was just the next on your list. It ends now.”

With what seemed like superhuman speed, Ethan lunged at Kristoff, fangs and claws bared.

“Get down!” Kristoff shoved Anna back, and she stumbled over a crack in the concrete, twisting her ankle painfully before falling to the ground.

Matching in speed, Kristoff dodged the attack, his fist colliding with Ethan’s face. The beast howled in pain as he fell back.

“You know,” Kristoff said as Ethan stumbled forward again. “Even if you were just a human, you’d still be a real piece of shit.”

Once again, Ethan leapt for him, but Kristoff grabbed him by his coat and slammed him to the ground.

Anna jumped at the sheer power of it; his body hitting the ground was heavy and forceful.

At this point, Ethan wasn’t even speaking; he was snarling and growling like a wild animal.

Kristoff’s hand was around his throat and his knee was against his chest, keeping him down.

Anna tried to get up, but her ankle ached in protest and she ended up back on the ground.

Ethan clawed at Kristoff, catching his bicep and shredding through his jacket, leaving four bloody claw marks in his wake.

Reaching for a small holster attached to his belt with his free hand, Kristoff pulled out a syringe and yanked off the plastic covering with his teeth. Struggling against the man below him, he stabbed the needle into Ethan’s arm.

The beast fought and screamed as Kristoff managed to keep him down, but then he began to slow. His movements became sluggish and his already incomprehensible yowls slurred until he lay limp on the ground.

Once he stopped moving for good, Kristoff stood up and stared down at the unconscious beast.

Anna stiffened when he turned back to her, her mind and heart racing.

“I just tranqed him,” he explained. “It’s usually the only way to bring them in.”

Unable to respond, Anna just sat on the grimy, wet ground and stared at the man she thought she knew.

Kristoff brought a hand to his ear piece. “Mattias, it’s Bjorgman. I’ve apprehended the target –”

Anna blocked him out as he spoke to whoever was on the other end of the conversation.

Ethan was a _beast._ How had she not known? How _could_ she have known? He was…he was behind those horrific crimes. The person she thought was her friend had just tried to kill her. Or worse.

She knew beasts were stronger and more agile than humans; she was strong for her size, but she wouldn’t stand a chance against one of them.

Kristoff had been following them to catch Ethan. He was watching her to make sure she was safe. If he hadn’t, she would be… Ethan would have…

She couldn’t stop the new set of tears that began to fall from her eyes. What the _hell_ was going on? Less than half an hour ago, things were totally normal. Now, she couldn’t stop shaking.

Kristoff looked down at her uneasily. “Oh…uh…” He rubbed the back of his neck, like he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. “Please don’t cry,” he almost pleaded.

“Why shouldn’t I cry?” she snapped, wiping at her eyes. She was nearly _murdered._ She was scared of course, but she was also angry. Angry and upset and confused.

“The rest of my team will be here in five minutes,” Kristoff said, watching her cautiously. “You’re going to need to make a statement and…” He trailed off.

Anna didn’t respond with anything more than a shaky breath and more tears.

Crouching down, Kristoff regarded her carefully, and Anna felt herself flush under his gaze as she cried.

“Can you walk?” he finally asked.

She shook her head. “No. I twisted my ankle when you _pushed_ me over.”

To his credit, Kristoff did look apologetic. “I’m sorry about that. I was trying to get you out of his way.”

“I know. Um…” Taking a few deep breaths to try to calm herself down, Anna took a moment before she looked up into his deep, brown eyes. “Thank you. For stopping him.”

“Let’s go,” he said suddenly, scooping her into his arms bridal style.

“Whoa, hey!” Surprised, Anna clutched onto his jacket.

“I’m going to take you home – if that’s okay.”

“But…I thought I had to stay?”

Kristoff shrugged, then leaned down to pick up Anna’s bag, only letting go of her with one arm to pull it up his shoulder before holding her securely again. “You’ve had a rough night. Do you need a hospital?”

Anna shook her head.

“Then let’s get you home.”

“Okay.” Curling into bed sounded like the best thing in the world at the moment. “But what about him?” she asked, watching Ethan’s motionless body. She felt a shiver go down her spine just looking at him. She trusted him, and he tricked her – that bastard.

“He’ll be out for at least an hour.” Kristoff took one arm off her once more to press against his earpiece. “Mattias, something came up; I’m heading out. The target is tranqed at the location I gave you.”

Anna could hear the other voice speak through the earpiece.

“Bjorgman, no – I told you to stand by. You can wait three minu–”

Kristoff took out the earpiece and adjusted his grasp on Anna. “What’s your address? I can probably find it from here.”

She didn’t know why – maybe it was the trauma of the night, maybe it was just because she was suddenly so exhausted – but Anna settled into his arms, placing her head on his chest.

He was so solid. So warm.

She gave him her address and he carried her through the dark and cold streets.

“You’re bleeding,” she pointed out, catching sight of the arm Ethan had scratched.

“Yeah. It’s fine.”

“It’s obviously not.”

“I’ve had worse.”

“I’m not going to take away your man card if you admit that it hurts.” Anna couldn’t help but crack a small smile when he rolled his eyes.

“What about you?” he asked, glancing at her before looking back ahead of him. “You doing okay?”

“I’ve been better,” she answered honestly. “But physically, I’m fine.”

“That’s good.” Kristoff was silent for a moment. “I’m not really…good with – there’s not really a good way to help someone after seeing something like that for the first time. I’m sorry.”

He was rather blunt with the delivery, but it didn’t seem to come from a place of disinterest. It seemed like he honestly didn’t know what to say.

Anna really appreciated him trying, though. He could have left her on the ground to be questioned all night. Instead, he was taking her home and trying to make her more comfortable. Or as comfortable as one could be in her state. “Do you need to be getting back?” she asked.

“Don’t worry about me,” was his response.

Taking a moment to really look at him, Anna tilted her head up to search Kristoff’s face.

His light hair slightly brushed over his dark eyes. He has a broad nose, but it worked for his face and was complimented by his strong jaw.

Anna couldn’t help the slight blush that spread across her cheeks. God, she’d just been through an extremely traumatic situation and all she could focus on was how attractive this guy was? What was wrong with her?

“Is this the right way?” Kristoff asked, pulling her out of her intrusive thoughts.

“Oh, um…” She looked around and recognized her surroundings. “Yeah. It’s just a block ahead, then turn left.”

He followed her directions and soon they reached the front of her apartment building.

Kristoff shifted so Anna could reach into her bag for her keycard and keys. She let them into the building and he carried her to the elevator.

“You said six-oh-four, right?” he asked and Anna nodded slightly.

Kristoff hit the button for the sixth floor and when they got to her door, Kristoff gently put her down, all her weight placed on one foot.

“Think you can make it from here?” he asked.

Nodding, Anna took her bag back from him. “Thank you, Kristoff.” But he’d already done so much for her, she wanted to return the favor.

He blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh – sorry, I realized I never asked your name.”

_Oh._ He was right; Anna never told him. She smiled. “Right. I’m Anna Andal.” She stuck her hand out. A handshake felt a bit unnecessary after he’d just carried her home in his arms, but it felt like the right thing to do.

Stiffly, Kristoff took it, but his grasp was just as warm as the rest of him. “Kristoff Bjorgman. But – uh – you already knew that.”

Grinning as she took her hand away, Anna felt heat creep up the back of her neck. “Well, thank you. Again. It’s nice to meet you, Kristoff.”

“You, too.” It looked like he almost smiled. After a beat of silence, Kristoff cleared his throat awkwardly and looked away. “If you’re all good, I should –”

“Wait!” Anna cut him off before she could stop herself. She felt like she couldn’t let him go without doing at least _something_ for him. “Do…you want to come in for a minute?”

“What?” He looked absolutely stunned, and Anna would have laughed at his wide-eyed expression if she weren’t so embarrassed herself.

“I – I mean…just to clean up your arm,” she clarified. “You don’t want it to get infected.”

“It’s fine, really.”

“Please?” Anna knew she was begging, and probably looked pathetic while she was at it, but she just wanted to help him out like he did for her. And – possibly – a small, inexplicable part of herself simply wanted him to stay. “I’d feel really bad if it got any worse.”

Seeing as she wasn’t going to give up, Kristoff nodded stiffly, his arms at his sides. “Okay. Just for a minute.”

Anna didn’t understand why that made her so happy. She probably just enjoyed having someone around after the night she’d had. She quickly turned away from him to open the door.

Turning on the lights, her spacious studio lit up as they entered.

It was only when Anna felt him come in behind her that common sense kicked back in. She had just invited a _stranger_ into her apartment. And not just any stranger, but a guy. An attractive guy, at that. But he _did_ just save her life, so this wasn’t exactly a normal situation.

She shook herself out of her thoughts and turned back to Kristoff, who looked just as uncertain as she felt. “Um…do you want a drink?” she asked as she undid her scarf and hung it up above the bench beside her, trying to act as casual as she could. Which, naturally, wasn’t very casual at all.

“Oh, uh, no, I’m alright.”

Her cat, Olaf, came trotting over to them by the door and rubbed her leg as he purred. “Olaf!” Anna smiled at her tuxedo cat. “Oh, Kristoff, this is Olaf.”

Kristoff just glanced at the creature and Olaf jumped; his back arched and his tail puffed out as he seemed to notice the other person for the first time.

Anna watched as the cat slinked away, scrambling over to her bed before hiding under it. “I’m sorry.” She frowned. “He’s always so friendly.”

“I’m…not really much of a cat person,” Kristoff said as he shrugged off his ruined jacket.

All thoughts about her cat left her mind as Anna stared at Kristoff’s form. _Jesus Christ._ He wore a long-sleeved black shirt under his jacket that clung to his torso. His shoulders and arms were as solid and defined as his broad chest, and his toned body flexed as he pulled off his jacket and inspected his bloody, tattered sleeve.

_He’s injured,_ Anna told herself. Hell, _she_ was injured. She was kicking herself for being selfish enough to even _think_ that this was an appropriate time to check him out.

“You should put some ice on that,” Kristoff said, gesturing to her ankle.

“Huh? Oh!” Anna blinked and cursed herself for getting off track. “It’s feeling better already.”

“That probably means you didn’t sprain it, but just to be safe.”

Realizing that he was still holding his jacket, Anna gestured to the bench by the front door. “Oh, you can put your jacket there if you want.”

He did, then went back to inspecting his arm.

“The bathroom is over there,” Anna pointed out. “I mean, if you want to wash it.”

“I think I need to cut this off.” He was speaking to himself as he looked at the ripped fabric, but Anna’s ears perked up.

“Yup – yeah. Yeah, you probably should.” God, that sounded desperate.

“Do you have any scissors?”

Anna unbuttoned her coat as she hobbled over to her small kitchen area. She slipped it off and just dropped it on the floor. It needed to be washed, anyway. She desperately needed a shower, too.

Kristoff followed her to the kitchen and opened the door of her freezer. “Do you have an ice pack?”

“Yeah, in the door.”

Them moving around her kitchen like that was both strange and comfortable. She didn’t know Kristoff, but she didn’t feel like he was out of place, either.

He brought her an ice pack wrapped in a dish towel as she sat down at the polished table and put the scissors down. Laying her injured foot on the seat next to her, Anna took off her boots and placed the ice pack on her ankle. Kristoff sat across from her, taking the scissors in his hand.

It was an awkward angle, but Anna turned towards Kristoff and held out her hand. “Let me.” To her surprise, he didn’t argue and handed her the scissors before turning so he could place his elbow on the table.

Anna noticed a thick, sliver ring on his right ring finger with a black shape engraved on it, although she couldn’t make out what it was from her angle.

Gently, Anna took the scissors and made a small incision in his sleeve right above the claw marks. “So…you’re an officer?” she asked as she carefully cut the fabric, making sure not to nick him.

“Not really,” he said, glancing at her face before watching her work.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t work for the police, though we work with them sometimes.”

Anna could only grin as he shifted his arm so she could reach the other side. “I thought your outfit was just the new uniform,” she said, referencing his all-black ensemble. Again, Kristoff nearly smiled at the bad joke. “So, who do you work for?”

“Public Safety Against Beasts. E squad. My team and others like it are who gets dispatched when there’s a…situation involving beasts.”

Anna furrowed her brows as she digested his words. _Situations involving beasts._ “How did I not know?” she whispered, placing the scissors on the table when she was finished. “Ethan was…”

“It’s not your fault,” Kristoff told her.

“I thought I knew a lot about him. I guess I didn’t know him at all.” Fresh tears began to well in her eyes.

Kristoff was quiet for a moment before speaking again. “Only beasts can sniff out other beasts. Humans can’t tell if someone’s a beast just by looking at them, so you can’t blame yourself.”

“Wait…sniff out?” Anna asked curiously.

“Along with increased strength and speed, they also have a heightened sense of smell. Beasts give off a specific scent that only other beasts can detect,” he explained.

“Oh…” Anna thought for a moment. “Do…humans have a smell?”

Slowly, Kristoff began to roll down the cut piece of fabric. Anna would have been mesmerized by his toned arm if it weren’t covered in blood. (Okay, maybe she was still just a bit _too_ captivated.)

He nodded as he winced for a moment at the pain. “Yeah. Some stronger than others, but just the smell of human blood can trigger the partial transformation you saw earlier.”

Anna’s eyes widened. “Wait…that was only _partial?_ I mean, they don’t actually turn into _wolves,_ do they?”

Kristoff’s mouth actually quirked into a grin before it fell. “That’s just an old myth.” He took a closer look at his wounds; luckily, they weren’t too deep. “But…” He seemed to think about his words before he spoke, not sure how to approach it. “Their bloodlust is always there, especially at night. Every beast struggles against those urges and can easily lose control at the smallest taste of blood. If you saw a fully transformed beast…you’d know.”

“But I wasn’t bleeding,” Anna pointed out.

“No, but I pissed him off. Most beasts also transform when angry or if attacked.”

So, beasts could smell blood? Well, that made sense, but Anna had never really thought about it. Did they transform like that often? And whenever they did, they had to be tranquilized to stop them. And there was no way to tell them apart from humans in normal circumstances. She knew beasts were a small part of the population, but how many had she met? Before that night, she would have said none. But Ethan was one. And he was a monster. He had… He was about to…

Trying to wrap her head around all the new information, Anna could only circle back to one thing. “What he did to those women…what he could have done to _me…_ ”

Kristoff was quiet when he spoke. “Whether a beast can control themselves is on them. _Nothing_ was your fault.”

Taking a shaky breath to stop any tears, Anna nodded. “I _hate_ him.”

“Makes sense. You should.”

“I don’t want to think about him ever again.”

“You don’t have to.”

It was quiet between them before Anna spoke up again. “Kristoff?”

“Yeah?”

“He…he won’t be able to do this to anyone else, right?”

Voice soft, Kristoff looked her in the eye. “No. He’s never going to hurt anyone else, okay? I promise.”

“Okay.” Anna couldn’t explain it, but she suddenly felt calmer. A bit better and definitely more stable. She even gave him a small smile. “That’s all I want.”

Kristoff seemed to smile back for a moment before he looked away. “Can I use your bathroom?” he asked suddenly.

“Oh – yeah, of course.” Anna watched him as he left the table, her thoughts running wild.

She knew everything that had happened was real, but she couldn’t tell if it had all sunk in yet. She supposed it had, but still, it was hard to fully understand. Maybe there wasn’t anything _to_ understand. Everything Ethan had done was despicable and unforgiveable, but Anna couldn’t help but feel grateful for all that Kristoff had done for her that night.

She was still shaken up, but she was safe.

Sooner than she expected, she heard the bathroom door open.

Sure her ankle would be fine, Anna took off her ice pack and stood up to see Kristoff. His arm was clean of blood and he had gauze wrapped around the long scratches.

“I, uh, used your first aid kid. I hope that was okay.” He looked unsure.

“Of course!” Slightly limping, Anna grabbed the scissors and ice pack and went over to the counter. “That’s what it’s there for.”

“You have a first aid kit specifically for werewolf attacks?” That almost smile traced his lips.

She didn’t know why she felt so hot, but Anna felt like she needed to take off her sweater. She smiled. “Amongst other things.”

The silence that followed was a comfortable one. He just looked at her. Eyes…soft.

Suddenly, he cleared his throat and looked away. “I should probably…”

“Oh! Yeah. Let me walk you down.”

Kristoff went to the bench and pulled on his tattered jacket. “You can barely walk.”

Anna just _psht_ and waved him off. “I’m fine! Let me just –” She grabbed the scissors carelessly to shove them back in the drawer and sucked in a breath when she nicked the top of her index finger. “Ow!”

“Are you okay?” Kristoff asked, looking over.

“Yeah, I just cut myself a bit.” She held up her finger, a drop of blood beading on the pad of it. “My sister keeps telling me to be more –”

In an instant, Kristoff was in front of her, his warm palm wrapped around her wrist. The light atmosphere was gone; his dark eyes were trained on her finger, pupils dilated and breaths ragged.

“K-Kristoff?” Anna lost her voice.

He kept her pressed against the counter, not acknowledging her question.

Anna gasped as she watched a flash of gold flick across his normally brown irises before his pupils widened even more.

Her mind shut off as he took her finger into his mouth.

She froze – his hot mouth closing around her injured finger. Heat shot up her arm as his tongue slid under the digit, from the first joint to the wound at the tip. She felt something sharp prick her skin. “Kris…” Anna couldn’t speak as goosebumps spread across her neck; she was suddenly lightheaded.

Just as quickly as it began, Kristoff shoved himself away from her, releasing her wrist as he fell back against the island.

Anna could only hear her heartbeat pound in her ears as Kristoff looked at her, his breaths erratic and wolfen eyes horrified.

Slightly elongated canines revealed themselves through his shocked expression. Small, defined claws dug into the wood of the island as he leaned against it for support.

No words were exchanged as they stared at each other, the silence stretching on as Anna’s heartrate finally slowed and she took in his startling features. And yet…she wasn’t scared. If anything, _he_ looked scared. His eyes had gone gold and black, but they kept the kindness that resided in them before, albeit with more panic.

Kristoff was a –

“There’s a needle sticking out of your leg!” Anna pointed out, alarmed.

Kristoff only nodded, closing his eyes as his features began to return back to human form. “Yeah…” he forced out, his voice gruffer than before. “I did that; it’s why I keep sedatives on me. I…” He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, looking at her intensely. “Are my eyes normal?”

Stunned, Anna could only nod as she looked back into his brown, human irises.

“I…” Kristoff glanced around, suddenly frantic. “I’m so sorry, Anna.” He yanked out the syringe and stumbled over to her sliding door that led to her tiny balcony.

Snapping out of her daze, Anna all but hopped after him. “Kristoff, wait!”

But he slid open the door and looked back for a split second. “I’m really sorry.”

“This is the sixth flo–” Anna didn’t have time to finish her sentence as he jumped over the balcony. “Kristoff!” Moving as fast as her ankle would allow, she rushed out to the balcony and looked down.

He was gone.

\------

_Fucking Idiot._ Kristoff grunted as he kicked a trash can, sending the metal barrel flying across the dark street.

Sighing, he stalked over to the dented can and picked it up, returning it to its original place. He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets and continued on his silent walk.

The sedative was wearing off, anger and frustration taking the place of the calming drug.

God, how could he be so _stupid?_

He should have just done his job: stay with the downed target and let his team deal with Anna. But she’d looked at him with those large, watery blue eyes and he just _couldn’t._

Dumbass.

He figured she wouldn’t find out; she didn’t need to know what he was. But he not only carried her home, he went _inside_ her apartment. What the hell was he thinking?

His wounds really weren’t that bad – he could have dealt with them later. But Anna was just so…

Kristoff shook his head to get her out of his thoughts. She was a stranger. More than that, she was a _human._ A human with oceans in her eyes and freckles smattered like stars across her flushed cheeks. Her loose, red hair clashed with her pink scarf in such a shockingly beautifully way that he couldn’t look away.

Christ, she smelled incredible. She tasted even better.

Pulling at his hair, Kristoff slid down a wall and crouched to the ground, squeezing his eyes shut, still slightly weak from the sedative.

Why did she have to cut herself? No, he couldn’t blame her – _he_ was the one who messed up.

He could usually control himself; he was typically able to fight against his urges, but the slight scent of her cut mixed with the rest of her was just too much and he acted without even realizing it. He could have hurt her.

He hadn’t transformed like that in a while. What was wrong with him?

What was it about her?

He remembered the way her lips parted when he took her finger into his mouth.

He wanted to taste more. To work his way up her arm. Lick that bottom lip of hers. Bite her neck.

Digging his nails (thankfully, they were only nails) into his palms, Kristoff took a shaky breath. He was disgusting. Most days he could deal with the curse he was born with, but it was moments like these where he truly hated himself.

Maybe beasts really should just be locked up.

Sighing again, Kristoff stood up and thought of his team. No, maybe not all beasts. He put his earpiece back in and went to meet them.

He would just forget about Anna and her alluring scent. He swore he could still smell her.


	2. Eclipse was Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to thank everyone for reading, commenting, and leaving kudos on the first chapter. Honestly, it's the only reason I'm continuing with this because I was contemplating on deleting it or posting it to my second ao3 account so it wasn't attached to this one lmao - that's how unsure about this I was, so I really appreciate the engagement.
> 
> With that said, I'm giving a very strong TRIGGER WARNING for sexual assault in this chapter. This will be the only chapter where something like that occurs, but if it's upsetting to you in any way, please know that it takes place at the end of this chapter. To be safe, it might be best to avoid this chapter as a whole.

For the third night in a row, Anna felt Kristoff’s touch deep within her subconscious.

The heat she’d felt on her finger spread across her whole body as his strong hands stroked up her bare skin and brushed the sides of her breasts. His tongue explored her mouth before his lips released hers and made their way to her neck.

Anna shivered as she felt his sharp teeth bite against the pulse in her throat.

His solid body kept her firmly between the wall and his chest, heat from his surprisingly soft skin melting her from the inside out.

“Anna,” he whispered as he nipped his way up to her ear.

“Kristoff,” she sighed as he gently sucked on her earlobe.

Her nails dug into his shoulders and her knees, wrapped around his waist, went weak when she felt him growl against her.

“Take me,” she pleated.

Bolting up in bed, Anna gasped and grabbed at her pounding heart. Flushed, sweaty, and embarrassed as hell, she covered her face with her hands and screamed into them.

_What_ was her problem? She’d met the guy once nearly a week ago and she was having reoccurring sex dreams about him; there was something _seriously_ wrong with her.

Okay, so he was extremely attractive, but she wasn’t the type to – no, that wasn’t true. She fantasized about guys all the time, but guys she _knew,_ not strange men who saved her life then disappeared without a trace.

Checking her phone, Anna frowned at the blinding light signifying that it was only a little after six in the morning. Her first class wasn’t until eleven, but there was no way she could get back to sleep after a dream like that. She looked around her dark apartment with a sigh.

Anna flicked on the lamp next to her bed and scrolled through Instagram mindlessly, her thoughts focused on the only person she’d been focused on all week.

Kristoff.

She couldn’t figure out what to make of him.

He…was a werewolf. A beast. But she wasn’t scared of him. She probably should have been, but she wasn’t. It was his eyes, she decided. In both human and beast form, there was something deep in them. She wanted to know what it was. She wasn’t to know who _he_ was.

But it wasn’t like they exchanged information or moved in the same circles. She doubted she would see him again.

For some reason, disappointment sat heavy in her chest.

\------

“Miss Andal?”

At the sound of her name, Anna pulled herself out of her thoughts and looked around. People in the lecture hall were either looking at her or still furiously typing on their laptops.

“Uh…yes?” Anna asked, not even realizing she’d spaced out.

“Are you with us?” her human anthropology professor asked. “The final is next week and I don’t want to hear anyone complaining about their grade when they don’t even bother to pay attention in class.”

“Oh…yeah, sorry.” She flushed at her spaciness and the rest of the students quickly lost interest in her as class resumed normally.

Afterwards, Anna met up with Sierra and Julie to study at the library, but she must have lost track of her thoughts again, because it took them saying her name four times before she realized they were speaking to her.

“Are you doing alright?” Sierra asked as they walked to the library. “You’ve been a little out of it.”

Julie looked at her with an eyebrow raised. “Uh, why do you think? She’s clearly still upset about Ethan.” Realizing she’d said something wrong, she clasped a hand over her mouth. “Oh, I’m sorry, Anna.”

“It’s okay,” Anna said honestly. After that night…she hadn’t thought of him at all. She wasn’t going to let him take up any space in her mind. He didn’t deserve it.

“It sucks he had to go back home,” Sierra said. “Especially so close to the end of the semester.”

Right, the rumor was he had to move back to Ohio suddenly; Anna would never say anything different.

“Yeah, but he had to go.” Pulling open the door to the library, Julie shrugged. “I mean, his dad died, right? You can’t exactly schedule that.”

“I thought it was his mom?” Sierra asked.

“Who knows?” Anna said.

She tried her hardest to focus on studying, but her train of thought was going off the rails. After only an hour, she put down her flash cards with a sigh. “I think I’m gonna call it.”

“Already?” Sierra looked up from her notes.

“Yeah, I didn’t sleep too well –” Anna blushed at the reason for her said sleeplessness, “so I think I’m gonna head home. Besides, I need to study for the rest of my finals and I only have so much room in my head.”

“Amen to that,” Julie said, stretching her arms above her head. “I’m burnt out.”

“Oh, no you don’t,” Sierra said. “Anna actually studied; you played on your phone for an hour.”

Anna smiled as the two bickered and she packed up her bag. “I’ll see you guys later,” she said as she stood up and pulled her bag over her shoulder.

“Make sure to text us when you get home safe!” Julie called out, only to be shushed by someone at another table.

Anna mouthed out an _I will_ and waved to her friends.

It was a completely uneventful trip home, thank God.

By the time Anna had gotten back to her apartment and shot off a quick text, it was nearly eight.

She’d eaten snacks in the library, but she was starving.

She took off her boots and coat as Olaf sprinted over to meet her. Anna had come home between classes to feed him earlier, but she knew he missed her when she was gone.

“Hi, baby boy!” she squealed excitedly as she picked him up. Olaf purred and nuzzled her neck as Anna went into the kitchen.

Toaster waffles felt like the perfect lazy dinner, so Anna lounged on her couch with a plate stacked with the breakfast food swimming in syrup.

Olaf cuddled up next to her and promptly fell asleep as a 90s sitcom played on the T.V.

Anna typically enjoyed going out, but especially since she hadn’t been sleeping well, it was nice to spend the night in. Though she probably would have enjoyed it more if she weren’t alone.

She yawned before taking a large bite and kicked her feet up on her coffee table.

Cracking a smile at the dated pop-culture references in the show, Anna nearly jumped out of her skin when a small knock sounded at her sliding door right next to the couch. Proud of herself for not throwing her plate across the room as she did so, Anna whipped towards the sound, a smile spreading across her face.

Someone was on her balcony.

“Kristoff!” Startling Olaf, Anna jumped off the couch and slid open the glass door.

Head ducked, Kristoff looked at her through his fringe, his eyes reflecting the light from her apartment. “I’m sorry,” he said immediately. His hands were shoved in his (still torn) jacket. “If this is a bad time –”

“No!” Anna smiled, trying to emphasize just how perfect the timing was. “I’m –”

“I just –” Kristoff started at the same time.

They both blushed and stuttered out, “you first” at once.

Anna could only grin. What a pair they were. “Really,” she pushed, “you go first.”

“I…just wanted to check in with you. Make sure you’re okay. Maybe…explain some things.” He looked away, almost sheepishly. “I mean, only if you’re comfortable with that.”

Anna’s smile widened. “I would love that. I was just about to say I’m really glad to see you again.” Kristoff looked completely shocked, and she giggled. “Do you want to come in?” she asked, stepping to the side to give him space to enter.

Suddenly, he went stone-faced. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Anna wanted to insist, but she could tell by his expression that he wasn’t going to budge. Instead, she stepped out onto the balcony and closed the door behind her as Olaf sprinted away.

She pulled her sweater tighter around herself and smiled up at him.

It was quiet as they stood there, listening to the sounds of the city as their breaths puffed out in small, white clouds.

“Your place is nice,” Kristoff blurted out, turning red instantly and leaning back on the railing.

“Oh, thanks,” Anna responded, a smile playing on her lips. “I can only afford it because of my parents.”

“Ah – trust fund baby?”

“Damn, you got me.” Anna grinned as she watched a small smile flash across his face, but it was gone as soon as it appeared.

“Anna…” Kristoff started quietly, seriously. “I’m really –”

“You don’t need to apologize.” She knew what he was about to say, but she didn’t want to hear it.

“Yes, I do. I don’t – I don’t know what came over me, but that’s not an excuse.” His face was red from embarrassment, but he kept eye-contact. “I took advantage of you on an already traumatic night and I am _so_ sorry.”

“Okay, um, first of all, you did not take _advantage_ of me,” Anna corrected. It probably should have bothered her, but it didn’t. In fact, she could barely admit to herself just how much it _didn’t_ bother her. Her dreams made sure she knew. A spike of heat ran up her neck as visions from her most recent dream ran through her mind. If anyone was being inappropriate, it was her. “And if it did upset me, I would have told you to get lost by now. Which, y’know, I haven’t. And won’t.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she raised a brow to challenge him to disagree with her.

“But I –” Kristoff looked at her cautiously. “I’m a –”

“A beast,” Anna stated matter-of-factly. “Yeah, I think I figured that out.”

He flushed as he looked away, ashamed. “I…technically I’m half. I thought that would help me control…things. But I guess not.”

“Wait, what?” Slightly confused, Anna’s arms dropped to her sides. “Half? That’s…” She didn’t know how to continue.

“Illegal? Yeah.” He was expressionless again. “But here I am.”

“Oh, no!” Throwing her arms up in apology, Anna backtracked. “I didn’t mean it like that! I was just confused for a second.” She felt horrible, but Kristoff just shrugged.

“It’s rare, but there are some of us out there.”

Anna wanted to ask more; she wanted to open him up and see just what was going on in that mind of his. But she could tell that he didn’t want to talk about it. “You’re still wearing that coat,” she said instead.

Kristoff looked down at the tattered sleeve and a corner of his mouth quirked up. “Yeah.” He was clearly glad about the change of subject. “Still works. Just with more ventilation.”

Anna couldn’t help it: she laughed. “You need a new one. It’s only December; it’s only going to get colder. Don’t tell me beasts can’t get cold or something.”

“No, we can. Although our body temperature is around a hundred and one degrees.”

“That’s hot!” Her eyes widened as soon as the words left her mouth. She obviously meant temperature, but a blush covered her cheeks nonetheless. Luckily, Kristoff didn’t seem to notice.

“Yeah, so we actually prefer the cold.”

Anna remembered how wonderfully warm his hands felt even on that freezing evening. Her flush deepened. “Can…I feel?” she asked quietly.

“W-what?” Kristoff’s eyes immediately matched the size of hers.

Anna held out a hand slowly, expectantly.

His eyes never leaving hers, Kristoff shook his hand out of his pocket. He hesitated for a moment before reaching for her.

Although it was only their hands, Anna’s heartrate began to pick up at the thought of touching him again.

Just as their fingers were about to make contact, Kristoff’s hand ripped away and pressed to his earpiece. “Copy. I’m here.”

Anna swallowed her disappointment, but a small smile spread on her face when she realized he’d skipped out on work to make sure she was okay. _Again._

“Manakee Towers? I’ll be there in ten.” Apologetically, Kristoff looked back at Anna. “I need to go. I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Wai–”

But he was over the railing before Anna could stop him. _Again._

Huffing, she put her hands on her hips. He kept running away! Well, he had a job to do, but still.

Looking down, Anna saw something black and square lying by her feet and bent down to pick up the object. It was a wallet. She opened it. Kristoff’s wallet.

He must have dropped it when he pulled his hand out of his pocket. Anna stared at it for a moment. He needed that, right? And the Manakee Towers apartment complex was only a thirty-minute walk away; way less if she took a cab.

She ran back inside, slamming the sliding door shut before pulling her coat and boots back on.

“I’ll be back soon, Olaf!”

\------

Kristoff stood on the roof of the building, one hand stretched out in front of him, the other hovering over his belt in case he needed to suddenly tranq the woman breaking down right in front of him. “Your name’s Suzanne, right?”

Mattias had updated him as he made his way over: neighbors called the police over a disturbance heard in her apartment. The cops arrived to find the woman, Suzanne Reynolds, mauling her boyfriend to death. Her human boyfriend. That’s why they were called in.

“Don’t come closer!” she screamed, fangs bared as she cried.

Her body was covered in blood; Kristoff could tell by the sharp, temping smell that it wasn’t hers.

Maren, his partner, had already stepped away, the scent of the blood too powerful for her. Kristoff bit back his urges, forcing himself to keep his mind clear, though he could feel his eyes beginning to change.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he promised.

“Who are you? What did I do? What did I _do?_ ” She was clearly disoriented, mind fighting against the truth of what she’d just done. They’d gotten there once her initial transformation had passed, and now that sense was returning, she started to comprehend her situation.

“We’re from the PSAB”, Mattias spoke up from behind him. “Public Safety Against Beasts,” he clarified. The leader of their little team was human, as required, but he respected and trusted the rest of them as if they couldn’t rip his head off at a moment’s notice.

Kristoff admired the guy.

“We work with beast related crimes,” the older man continued. His eyes went soft. “We just don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”

“I didn’t mean to!” she cried. “He cut himself cooking; I would never – I love him!”

“I know,” Kristoff said, taking another cautious step toward her.

“No!” Suzanne gripped the railing of the roof, her claws scraping against the metal. “Do you have someone in your life? Someone you’d do _anything_ for?” When he didn’t respond, she bared her fangs as she wailed again. “Then you wouldn’t understand what I’ve just done! I just want to die!” She crumpled to the ground, sobs wild.

With a jolt going down his spine, Kristoff whirled around, a familiar scent filling the air. Something slightly new to him, but one that nestled so deep into his senses that he couldn’t forget it even if he wanted to (and he had tried).

_Anna._

Why could he smell her? That sweet, soft, unmistakable scent that had followed him into his dreams.

“Bjorgman,” Mattias called out, bringing Kristoff back to the matter at hand.

He walked over to the woman on the ground and kneeled in front of her. He wasn’t going to use force; she had no fight left in her, if she ever had any at all. “I’m going to have to tranquilize you, okay?” Kristoff told her softly.

“Do whatever you want,” was all that she could seem to force out.

She sat still as Kristoff administered the syringe to her upper arm as gently as he could.

“There’s a reason beasts and humans can’t be together,” Suzanne croaked out as her eyes began to close. “I thought we were different…I thought…”

Kristoff didn’t respond as Anna’s scent disappeared.

“I’m so sorry,” she slurred, her voice hitched.

“I know.”

He carefully picked up her now limp body and joined Mattias by the stairs.

Kristoff hated this part; he would pass her off to the people who would take her to a containment center and he would fill out paperwork describing what happened and everyone would write it off as just another beast attack.

He took this job to stop those beasts who didn’t even try to control themselves; the ones who let their bloodlust go unchecked and took human lives and bodies willingly to sedate their cravings. But far too often, he’d come across ones like Suzanne.

She seemed to hate what she was just as much as he did.

If he ever lost control enough to kill an innocent person, he’d beg to be put out of his misery, too.

“You doing alright, Nattura?” Mattias asked as he opened the door of the stairwell to reveal Maren waiting inside.

Her normally tan face was pale and she was shaky, indicating that she’d had to use a sedative on herself. She nodded and expelled a breath. “Yes, sir. I had to stop a civilian from coming up here, but no other problems.”

A civilian? Anna.

Kristoff carefully brought Suzanne down to the car that was waiting to transport her and settled her in a gently as he could. Poor woman.

Of course, he had the aftermath to take care off, but as soon all the other residents of the building began hammering them with questions, he slipped away and rushed back to Anna’s.

He had to make it sure it wasn’t just his imagination. He wanted to ask why she followed him. He…he just wanted to see her.

Making sure no one was occupying any other balconies, he climbed up to her sixth-floor apartment and found the sliding glass door open.

Anna sat on her couch, wrapped in blankets, and broke into a smile when she saw him.

Kristoff couldn’t help but smile back; something about hers were just so contagious, although he was trying to be serious. “It’s cold,” he told her as she scrambled up, blankets crumpling to the couch. “You should keep this closed.”

“It’s warmer inside,” Anna pointed out. Her cheeks were pink.

Kristoff knew it was an invitation to enter, but he stayed out on the balcony. She should know better than to let a beast inside. If she saw what he’d just delt with, saw what was left of that man’s body, he doubted she would be so comfortable with it. “You followed me,” he said, changing the subject.

Anna joined him on the balcony, pulling her sweater tight as she bit her lip guiltily. “How did you know?”

He didn’t mean to stare at her lips, but they looked so soft. Kristoff flushed and glanced up at the balcony above them. He couldn’t just tell her that he could _smell_ her, how creepy was that? He cleared his throat and looked back at her. “My partner mentioned something.”

“In my defense, I was trying to return this,” she said as she held out his wallet.

“What?” Kristoff patted his pockets in surprise.

“You dropped it here.”

Reaching for his wallet, Kristoff made sure not to touch her when he took it. “For future reference, you don’t have to return anything to me; it could be dangerous.”

Anna’s smile widened as she raised a brow. “’For future reference’? So…does that mean you’ll be back?”

Ah, shit. He didn’t mean it like that, but why did he want it so badly?

_There’s a reason beasts and humans can’t be together._

Suzanne’s words ran through his head. Yes, there was a reason. Many, actually. His parents’ story proved it.

He shoved his wallet back in his pocket and turned to leave. “I should –”

“Wait!” Anna reached out and grabbed his hand before he could go.

Instinctively, Kristoff tightened his grip on hers as he turned around. Her hand was so cold; he needed to warm it up. He felt his face heat up as he made eye-contact. Her face was red as well, her freckles disappearing beneath her blush.

“Um…” Anna took a deep breath and furrowed her brows in determination. “If you won’t come in, then…take me out!”

“ _What?_ ” Kristoff asked, shocked. Did she just –

The determination in her eyes clashed with her embarrassment, but she didn’t let go of his hand. “I – I want to go out with you!” Her eyes widened at having confessed that as loud as she did. “I…want to get to know you better. A-and, um, I have some places that I think would be fun – I mean, if you want to of course! I just…I mean, I want to talk with you more and you don’t want to come inside – which, I understand, but I _really_ didn’t mind last time, by the way – so maybe you’d be okay with going out somewhere? I have class until six-thirty tomorrow, so if you’re free we could meet up there? I know some places around there and –”

Kristoff felt his brows raise as she babbled. _She_ wanted to go out with _him?_ He should stop her, tell her no, it’s too dangerous. She didn’t understand why these rules were in place to begin with. But her hand was so soft and small in his. Her large, blue eyes reflected the lights of the building across the street. Her freckled nose was beginning to turn as pink as the rest of her face.

He _really_ should say no. Instead, he asked, “Where’s your school?”

Anna smiled.

\------

Kristoff rolled his shoulders as he entered Oaken’s bar, the unofficial meeting place for his team.

Sure, they had an actual office, but more often than not, they had their squad meetings there, seeing as Oaken was an old friend of their team captain.

Having been out for a run, he caught his breath as he stood by the bar top, taking off his sweatshirt as he was hit by the artificial heat.

“Hey, Kristoff!” Ryder greeted him from a barstool near him.

“Hey, Nattura,” Kristoff responded.

“Oh, don’t be so official,” Maren said from her spot next to her younger brother. “Mattias won’t be here for another half hour.”

The light from the bar glinted off of the siblings’ silver rings, matching engravings of a maple leaf embellishing each one.

“Maren was just telling me about last night,” Ryder told him. “That sounds so sad.”

“Well, that’s why you don’t get involved with humans,” Maren pointed out. “Too many risks; so not worth it.”

Kristoff just stared at his hands on the bar top. His date with Anna later that night wasn’t…it didn’t have to _mean_ anything, right?

“Do…you think I could come next time?” Ryder asked.

The twenty-year-old worked in intel and did more of the office work since he had a knack for computers. Kristoff liked him, but he didn’t know if the kid could handle field work.

“Like I’m going to put my baby brother in danger,” Maren cooed teasingly, pinching his cheek.

“Hey!” Ryder smacked her hand away.

Maren grinned. “I think I want a cocktail; I’ll get you a Shirley Temple.”

“Jokes on you – Shirley Temples are delicious.”

Maren got the attention of Oaken and the large man made his way over to them.

“On the job?” Kristoff asked.

“We’re not on the clock yet,” she corrected. “And I had a big breakfast; I’m fine. Besides, it’s not me you should be worried about. You should change before Mattias gets here – don’t want to get screwed more than you already are.”

“Oh, yeah,” Ryder agreed. “You’re about to get chewed out.”

“Why? For what?” Kristoff had no idea what they were talking about.

Ryder shrugged a shoulder. “Something about you going off on your own.”

“…Oh.” Right.

“Yeah, where _do_ you go when you disappear?” Maren asked. “Mattias trusts you enough not to track you, but you have no idea how much I want to do it out of pure curiosity.”

Kristoff’s thumb played with the ring on his right hand, the antler engraving disappearing and reappearing as he slid it around his finger.

Before he had to answer, Oaken came in front of them and waved as if they couldn’t see him. “Hoo-hoo, hello, Kristoff!” he said in his thick Norwegian accent.

“Hey, Oaken.”

“You got my email, ya?”

Kristoff nodded, letting his head fall. “Yeah. But you’re really raising the rent _again?_ You’re killing me here.”

Not only did Oaken own the bar, he owned the whole building. The floors above the bar were all apartments which he rented out. Kristoff ended up renting one of those places when he joined E squad and began going to meetings there.

But Oaken was a fucking crook, truth be told.

“I have to make money somehow,” the foreign man said. “Especially since I close down the bar for your little meetings, ya?” He gestured to the empty bar.

“You _offered,_ ” Kristoff reminded him. “And it’s not even noon.” Of course the bar would be empty.

“What can I get you, dear?” Oaken turned to Maren, ignoring Kristoff’s jab.

Sighing, Kristoff left to head up to his apartment on the third floor.

His place was small, but he didn’t need much.

After a quick shower, he changed into his all-black ensemble, glad this wasn’t a job that needed a suit or a uniform, just a dress code. As long as they wore all black to blend into the dark and it was easy to move in, that’s all that was required.

He’d worked for a few different teams in the PSAB, and they were all fine, but E squad, his current one, was definitely this favorite. They worked well together and he respected everyone on the team, even if he was about to get lectured for running off.

Having time before he had to go back down, Kristoff sat at his desk, once again messing with the ring on his finger.

Mattias could use it to track him, if he wanted to.

That’s why they had to wear them, anyway. All beasts in the PSAB were required to wear them at all times, even off the clock. Along with a tracking feature, it could monitor their temperature and pulse; if they ever lost control, it would allow the rest of the team to take them down.

And yet, Mattias trusted them enough to never use it. Kristoff was used to captains in other squads monitoring him nearly all the time.

He needed to think of a good excuse for his disappearing act.

\------

Staring at the clock, Anna’s leg bounced under her desk. Class was almost over, then she’d meet up with Kristoff.

She was going on a _date._ With _Kristoff._ She bit her lip to keep the smile off her face. If her friends caught her grinning like an idiot, they’d ask what was up. She couldn’t exactly tell them what was going on.

Sexual relationships between beasts and humans weren’t allowed, but it’s not like they were going to – Anna flushed at the thought. No, it was just a date. And it’s not like it was illegal to _hang out_ with a beast, right? And a date was just hanging out. With kissing.

Anna slid down in her seat and had to resist the urge to cover her face; she knew she was going red.

_Kissing Kristoff._ Did she want to kiss Kristoff? Oh, absolutely. He was attractive and kind, even if he hid it beneath a gruff exterior. Anna could see right through that; his eyes gave him away. And his _smile._ God, when he smiled at her that one time – that full, wide smile – she felt her heart skip a beat. And he was so warm, she just wanted to wrap herself up in him.

Scribbling in her notebook so it looked like she was taking notes, Anna couldn’t stop her smile this time.

She was twenty-one, but she felt like she was in high school again. She knew she was probably being silly, but she didn’t care. She hadn’t been in a relationship since spring and – _Wait,_ she told herself. _Slow down._ A _relationship?_ It was just a date. They would see how that went and then… She grinned again as she stared into space.

“Alright,” professor Hans said. “We only have one more class, then the final is next week; the study guide is online. Most of you did well on your final papers, but this is your last chance to boost your grade if you didn’t. See you on Friday.”

“Shit, he was definitely talking about me,” Julie whispered as everyone packed up their bags. “I got a D on that paper.”

“I told you not to wait until the night before it was due,” Sierra said. “A D was him being nice.”

Anna was rather proud of the ninety-five she’d received, but she would never brag about it, and she wanted to do well on the final regardless.

“You coming?” Julie asked Anna as she stood up.

“You guys go ahead; I want to talk to professor Hans for a minute.”

“Sucking up for extra points, I see,” she teased.

“Unlike you, Anna doesn’t need to do that,” Sierra said, standing up as well. “Well, see you later.”

“Text me when you guys get home,” Anna said, waving them off.

“You too! Get home safe.”

As the room cleared out, Anna hung back as a few other students went up to the front desk to ask questions.

She pulled a book out of her bag and stood before draping her coat and scarf over her arm.

She’d told Kristoff to wait by the library since it was close by, and she couldn’t wait to meet him, but she’d borrowed the book from professor Hans months ago and had kept forgetting to return it. It was also a good excuse as to why she couldn’t leave with her friends, but she really did need to return it.

Once the rest of the students left, Anna walked up to his desk and smiled. “Hi, professor Hans. Um, I just wanted to return this; I’m sorry it took so long.”

“Oh, Anna.” He smiled back. “You know just Hans is fine; I like to give special privileges to my best students.” He winked and chuckled as if it were a joke.

Anna just nodded, finding herself not remotely as charmed as she would have been only two weeks ago.

“Anyway, it’s completely fine if you kept it as long as you enjoyed it.”

“Oh, I loved it!” Anna assured him. “The way it interpreted the complexities of man and the good and evil in all of us was so interesting.”

“Yes, it’s one of my favorites; I had a feeling you’d like it.” He gathered up his folders of notes and slung his bag over his shoulder. “In fact, do you have a minute? I was hoping to get you after class today, anyway – I have another book I’d love to recommend.”

“Oh, well –” Anna glanced at the clock.

“It will just take a minute,” he promised. “My office is on this floor.”

“Okay.” If it was just another minute, it would be fine; it was only five minutes after class, after all. She’d just grab the book and go.

“When you told me you liked _Dracula,_ I couldn’t believe you hadn’t read _Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,_ ” Hans said as he closed the classroom door behind them.

“I’ve always meant to, but I never got around to it. I really appreciate you lending it to me,” Anna said, following him to his office.

They talked about the book as they walked, and while Anna enjoyed his insight, she was antsy to get to Kristoff.

When they got to his office, Hans unlocked the door and turned on the lights. Anna lingered in the hallway, expecting him to bring the book to her.

“Oh, come in,” he called to her from his desk as he put is bag down on top of it. “I need to find it.”

“I should really be –”

“Come in,” he said with a smile.

Not wanting to offend him, Anna entered.

“Feel free to put your bag down on one of those chairs,” he said as he went over to the door and closed it behind her.

Anna placed her bag and coat on a wooden chair in front of his desk. Her head shot up when she heard the click of a lock. She felt her heartrate spike in her chest. “Did you…just lock the door?” She hoped her voice didn’t waver.

“Hm?” Looking at her, then the door, then back, Hans waved it off. “Oh, it’s broken. The damn thing won’t stay closed unless it’s locked.

Anna tried to smile. “W-well, we could just leave it –”

“Now, where is it?” he asked as he walked back behind his desk to look through his shelves of books.

Anna looked around the neat, decorated office of an English professor and forced herself to calm down. He was just trying to be nice and lend her a book, that was all. But for some reason, she felt…uncomfortable. She was probably just being paranoid.

“Oh, here it is,” he said as he pulled a book from one of the shelves.

With a sigh of relief, Anna crossed over to his desk and held out the previous book he’d leant her. When he took it from her hands, his fingers lingered on hers for longer than she would have liked.

“Have you read this?” Hans asked as he handed her the other book.

Anna looked at the book in her hands. _The Picture of Dorian Gray._ “No, I haven’t.”

“I really think you’ll like this one.”

Glad to finally have what she came for, Anna smiled at him and nodded. “I bet I will! I’ll try to return it within three months this time,” she joked, trying to lighten her discomfort.

“Take all the time you need.”

When he smiled at her, Anna felt uneasy. She didn’t have a reason to feel so nervous, but something in the back of her mind was nagging at her to leave. “Thank you so much, professor – I mean, Hans. I’ll see you –”

“Wait,” he said, turning to a different shelf. “Do you want any coffee? Or tea?”

“Thank you, but I –”

“I wanted to ask you something.” Hans turned back to her, his tone abruptly serious.

“O-oh?” Anna took a step back unconsciously; she couldn’t deny that she was suddenly scared.

“Have you ever thought of being a TA?”

“For you?”

“Yes. I really enjoy having you in my class, Anna.” He took a step towards her.

Anna took another step back. “Th-that’s very kind, but I think I should focus on –”

“And, if I’m correct,” he came closer, his eyes glancing down her body before meeting hers again, “you enjoy being in my class, too.”

Anna bumped into a shelf, books stopping her escape.

“You’re a beautiful girl, Anna.” His hand stroked down her hair.

“P-profes…” Feeling tears pool in her eyes, Anna couldn’t speak. She froze when his lips crashed into hers. It only took a second before she could react. She shoved him away and turned her head. “Sto–”

He grabbed her forcefully, hands pinning her arms to her sides and kissed her again. Anna tried to cry out, tried to avoid him, but his body was pushed against hers and she couldn’t move.

“I see how you smile at me; how you flirt with me,” he muttered against her skin. “I know you want this.”

Unable to breathe, Anna cried against his lips, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks.

Hans let her go to grab at her blouse, and Anna pushed at him again, ripping her head away to scream for help.

He forced his palm over her mouth to silence her. “Don’t fight it, Anna; you even got all dressed up for me.” He spoke lowly as his mouth curled into a smile. “You’ve been playing this little game with me all semester, haven’t you?”

Anna had dressed up a bit more than usual, but that was for her date; it didn’t mean anything! She screamed against his hand, the sound not traveling far. She struggled against him, but he was bigger than her.

His free hand pulled at her blouse, ripping it opened as the buttons flew off. Anna sobbed as he felt her up, groping at her chest roughly.

Brain only working at half speed, Anna realized she still had his book in her hand. His hands off her arms, she took the hardback and swung it, slamming it against the side of his head.

Hans stumbled back, releasing her as his hand flew to his temple.

Taking the opportunity to get away, she turned and tried to run, but one of his hands caught her arm and threw her to the ground. Wind knocked out of her, Anna gasped for breath as he climbed on top of her.

“Now, why would you go and do that? And after I gave you those good grades, huh?” He spoke through his teeth. He took her hands in one of his and trapped them above her head. “You didn’t really think you were that smart, did you?”

Eyes widening in horror and realization, Anna shook her head roughly. “I never asked –!”

“You didn’t have to; girls like you all want the same thing.” He pushed his body against hers and kissed her before she could argue again.

Struggling and crying against his lips, Anna fought under him to try and push him off.

Frustrated, Hans pulled back and pulled her hair roughly with his free hand, knocking her head painfully against the floor. “ _God,_ stop struggling! This is the _least_ that you owe me! If you really didn’t like it, you would have said something.”

“I did!” Anna screamed, tears clouding her vision.

He shoved his knee in between her thighs to force her legs apart. “I didn’t hear anything.”

His smug look made Anna want to vomit. “Silence doesn’t mean yes!”

“Yes, it does.” He forced himself on her again, kissing her so hard it hurt.

Anna could only thrash against him, sobbing as he let go of her hair and shoved his hand up her bra to fondle her breasts.

Humiliation, fear, and anger rolled through her as she cried.

Hans’ hand left her chest and squeezed up a stockinged thigh under her skirt.

“You have a family!” she cried out, trying a last resort to make him stop.

His eyes held no emotion. “So?”

With that, Anna felt her heart fall into her stomach. He really wasn’t going to stop. But she didn’t stop fighting against him either and screamed when his fingers slid beneath the waistband of her skirt.

Then there was the sound of glass shattering.

The two people on the floor looked up at the office’s outdoor window.

“Kristoff!” Anna cried out.

Faster than either could react, Kristoff rushed through the now broken window and ripped the other man off of Anna, slamming him to the ground.

He was transformed: eyes black and gold, fangs bared, and extremely lengthened claws digging into her assailant’s neck.

Anna remembered what he said about making a beast angry.

She scrambled to her knees, her hands clutching her damaged shirt closed.

Kristoff was choking Hans with one clawed hand before bringing a fist down to his face.

Anna heard something crack in the man’s face with the first hit.

Kristoff _snarled_ as he began to beat the other man, Hans’ head snapping back and forth as the blows landed.

“Professor Westergaard?” A voice called from outside the door. “We heard shouting; are you alright?”

Continuing the beating, Kristoff didn’t register the knocking as his fist collided with cheek bone, shattering it under his strength.

Eyes wide, Anna watched him; Hans wasn’t moving. Blood soaked into the light grey carpet. If Kristoff didn’t stop –

“Kristoff, stop!” She flung herself forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. She could feel his heat through his jacket. “You’re going to kill him!”

When she made contact with him, Kristoff immediately stopped and stiffened.

“Stop,” Anna whispered. If Kristoff killed him, he would be taken away, she knew that much. And she wouldn’t let anyone’s death be on his conscience.

Turning to face her, Kristoff’s eyes softened.

Anna let him go, sniffling as she held her blouse closed.

The knocking turned into pounding. “Hans?” Another voice asked. “What’s going on in there?”

Snapping out of his rage, Kristoff slipped off his jacket and gently put it over her shoulders. “I’m sorry.” His voice was gravelly and deep.

Anna couldn’t stop crying and pulled his coat around her.

“Tell them a beast broke in here,” he told her. “And report what he did to you.”

“W-wait,” Anna croaked out from the floor as he stood. “Where are you going?” She didn’t want to be alone; she wanted him to stay.

“If I’m caught here, I’ll be arrested. For what I did.”

“You didn’t do anything! You stopped him!”

“I’m a beast, Anna.” His claws dug into his fist.

“Please.”

There was more heavy banging on the door and the handle jiggled wildly.

Kristoff crouched back next to her. “I’ll stay.”

Anna took a shaky breath, then shook her head. No, he was right. He was a beast. If he hurt a human, no matter the reason, he would be punished regardless. “You need to go. Just promise you’ll come back. To…to see me.”

“I promise.”

Unsteady on her feet, Anna carefully stood up as she watched him disappear out the window. She wobbled over and looked down the three floors to the ground, where he looked back up at her.

The door behind her broke open and she heard the gasps of shock from whoever entered.

“Jesus Christ!”

“Miss, what happened? Miss?”

More tears fell as Anna watched Kristoff disappear into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll probably post about once a week. Thank you all so much <3
> 
> Also, a slow burn this is not, but it will be a lil bit before things start getting steamy lmao. And I promise not ever chapter ends with him running off lmao


	3. Licking Each Other's Wounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to post this one kinda early since the last chapter was upsetting.
> 
> I want to give another trigger warning for mentions of sexual assault right at the beginning of this chapter - nothing explicit, but I want to warn that there are mentions of it just in case.

Anna sat on her couch, late-night T.V. playing softly on her screen.

Christmas lights blinked throughout her apartment, but she didn’t feel remotely festive.

She didn’t register any of the images on the television, she just stared ahead vacantly, Kristoff’s jacket wrapped tightly around her.

Even though the sleeve was ripped, it was _so_ warm. It was much too big for her, so it swallowed her up in a welcoming way. It was the only thing that made her feel safe.

It had been four days since the attack, and Anna hadn’t been sleeping well, so she just stayed up late and put anything on the T.V. to help her forget, but nothing worked.

She’d reported what happened and Professor Hans was dismissed. The exams for all of his classes were cancelled; no one knew why, although rumors ran wild.

Anna didn’t tell anyone the truth, though – no friends and certainly not her sister; she didn’t want anyone to worry.

Although the logical part of her mind knew it wasn’t her fault, she just felt so _humiliated._ She could still feel his hands and lips like phantom touches and she felt disgusting.

She replayed the events of that evening over and over in her head, terrified to think of what could have happened if Kristoff hadn’t shown up when he did.

Kristoff.

Anna pulled his large jacket around her petite body and dug her nose into the collar. It smelled like him; something like pine and night air and so individually _him._

He hadn’t come to see her yet. He _promised._ In fact, she’d even gone out and got him a Christmas present for when he did. Maybe that was a bit presumptuous of her, but it gave her something to focus on, and she simply wanted to.

It was a Sunday, so she thought he would’ve been free. Then again, she didn’t know that much about him. Hell, she hadn’t even gotten his phone number. That’s why she had wanted a date – to _get_ to know him.

How did that day go so wrong?

It was nearing midnight, and she had her first final the next day, but Anna already knew she wasn’t going to sleep well anyway, so no point in going to bed.

Although, she did find that sleeping in Kristoff’s jacket helped, even though Olaf avoided her when she wore it and slept on the couch instead of with her.

Apparently, the whole cat and dog thing wasn’t a myth.

She sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest. She couldn’t tell anyone what happened. She knew quite a few people at school, but they had their own finals to worry about. And her sister, Elsa, was _finally_ traveling the world like she’d always wanted. Anna wasn’t going to ruin that and ask her to come home just because she was lonely. And if she told Elsa what happened, but not to worry about it, of course she’d worry about it anyway and come home regardless; she just _wouldn’t_ ruin this trip for her.

She just…wanted someone.

There was a flash of movement outside to the left, and Anna’s head whipped to the side.

Kristoff had just climbed onto her balcony.

Before he could even knock, Anna jumped up and slid open the door, immediately wrapping her arms around his waist. “You’re here,” she whispered, digging her face into his chest. He was there; real and solid and _there._

He froze for a moment before his arms slowly wrapped around her. “Is this okay?” he asked softly.

Anna nodded, too happy and relieved to speak.

“Are you okay?” he asked after a moment.

“I will be.”

He just held her on the balcony, blocking out the cold night with his body.

“Thank you,” Anna said, pulling back just enough to look at him. “For coming back.”

Kristoff looked at her, eyes dark and grounding. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are _you_ sorry? You – you saved me. _Again._ How did you even find me?”

“You didn’t come, so I just…went looking and I – I heard you.”

“Why are you sorry?” she asked again.

“I’m sorry you had to see me like that.” He wasn’t looking at her.

“Kristoff.” Boldly, Anna released him and put a cold hand to his warm cheek. “I was scared of the _human_ who attacked me, not the beast who saved me.”

“But –”

“I’m _not_ scared of you,” Anna said pointedly before he could argue. She put her hands on her hips. “I’ll have you know that I’m barely sacred of _anything._ Beasts are no exception. I…Ethan scared me because he was about to hurt me, the beast part was just a surprise. _You_ don’t scare me. So – so just shut up about that.”

Kristoff actually cracked a smile at her demand. “I’m just – I’m glad you’ll be okay.”

“I’m better than I was.”

“Is there anything I can do?” He looked so earnest that Anna couldn’t help but smile.

“Yeah. Come inside.”

Sighing, Kristoff stepped back. “Anna –”

“I’m not scared.” She missed his heat instantly. “I trust you.” Anna didn’t miss how his eyes widened and pink colored his cheeks. He got embarrassed really easily – she supposed she did, too – and it was utterly adorable.

Finally, he said, “Okay.”

Grinning, Anna took his hand and pulled him inside.

Warmth hit them immediately as they stepped in.

Anna closed the door behind them and watched as Olaf skittered from his cat bed on the floor back under her bed. “Wow, he _really_ doesn’t like you.” She smiled and pulled his jacket closer around her.

“Don’t worry; the feeling’s mutual.” He gave her a small smile and Anna’s legs nearly gave out.

She looked down to hide her blush. “Oh! Um – this is yours.” She shrugged in the jacket. “Thanks for letting me…well, everything, really. Thank you for everything. And the jacket. Well, that’s part of everything.” She nearly kicked herself; why did she sound so stupid? She began to pull the jacket off. “Here – I’m sor–”

“No, uh, you keep it.” Kristoff’s red face lit up under the string of Christmas lights. “Sorry it’s ripped, but you look better in it anyway.” He looked shocked at himself after saying that.

Anna flushed too, but smiled. Why couldn’t she think straight around him?

His warm jacket reminded her of his gift. “Oh! I forgot! I have something for you.” She crossed the floor and passed him.

“For…me?” Kristoff asked, confused. “Did I leave something else?”

Anna giggled. “No – one sec, let me get it! Make yourself at home!” She ran over to the corner of the studio with her bed and reached under, avoiding Olaf as she pulled out a large gift bag with tissue paper.

With the bag in hand, Anna turned back to find Kristoff sitting on her couch. The sight felt too right – strangely familiar. Like she wanted him there forever.

“Is this okay?” he asked as she came back over, his hands posed to push himself up. “I’m sorry; I can get –”

“Oh, no! No, stay. Please.” How desperate could she sound?

Anna joined him on the couch and held out the heavy, red gift bag. “Kind of two weeks early, but Merry Christmas, Kristoff.”

He just stared at the bag, his face unreadable.

Anna’s smile dropped. Had she offended him? “Oh, do you celebrate something else? I’m so sorry, I should have asked. I shouldn’t have assumed –”

Kristoff shook his head. “No – I mean, I don’t really celebrate anything, but I…you – you got me a present?”

“Um…yes?” Anna couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

Suddenly, he looked panicked. “I didn’t get you anything, I’m sorry. I didn’t know – I wasn’t thinking –”

“Kristoff.” Anna stopped him with a smile. “I’m not expecting anything. I know this is kinda…sudden, but I got you this because I wanted to.”

Almost reluctantly, Kristoff took the bag and dug through the crinkled tissue, pulling out a large bundle. His mouth fell open as he unfolded it to reveal a new coat.

It was sturdy and dense, dark grey with red accents and a faux fur collar.

Anna had wanted to find him a durable coat that would keep him warm, but it was difficult to find a perfect one without real fur. She personally didn’t like fur, and even though they might not grow a fur coat themselves, she thought giving something with real fur to a literal werewolf might be offensive.

When she saw the coat at one of the multiple upscale department stores she went to, she knew it was perfect.

“I hope the size is okay,” Anna said when he stayed silent. “I compared it with this one so it should be fine, but I can always return it or exchange it if it doesn’t work. Or if you don’t like it! I won’t be offended.”

“Anna…I can’t accept this.” Kristoff finally tore his gaze away from the coat and looked at her.

“Sure you can!”

“It’s too nice. It’s too much.”

“No, it’s not! Trust fund baby, remember?”

“I can’t take this.”

“I _want_ you to have it.”

“But this is…” He trailed off.

“No takebacks!” Anna exclaimed. “If you like it, then it’s yours. Sorry, I don’t make the rules.”

“You definitely made up that rule.”

“ _Kristoff,_ ” she whined, pouting until she saw him smile. Then she bit her lip as she twisted her hands together nervously. “So… _do_ you like it?”

“Like it?” Kristoff grinned crookedly at her and Anna’s heart jumped. “I love it – really, I…thank you.”

Suddenly breathless, Anna looked down at her hands, which she hid in the sleeves of his old jacket. “Y-you’re welcome.”

“…Anna?” Kristoff’s voice was quiet.

When she looked back up at him, Anna realized how close they were. “Yes?” She didn’t know why she whispered.

“May I…”

She leaned in closer.

“Hug you again?” Kristoff finished.

Anna broke into a smile and couldn’t help but laugh. God, they were so awkward; she really liked that. In response, she leaned into his warm frame and felt maybe a bit too comfortable when he brought his arms around her.

She didn’t feel forced or in danger. She felt completely and utterly _safe._

She wrapped her arms around his neck to bring him closer. It was a bit of an awkward position; awkward and perfect. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes. This was the best she’d felt since the assault.

She had only met him a few weeks ago, but what she’d said earlier was true: she trusted him. She wanted him to be with her as much as possible.

“I’ll get you something, too,” Kristoff said into her hair.

“You don’t have to.”

“Well, I want to, how’s that?”

Anna smiled into his shirt. “That sounds nice.”

They were quiet as Anna listened to his heartbeat. He enveloped her in warmth and safety.

“You know,” she said, turning her head so her voice was less muffled. “We never got to go on our date.”

Kristoff stiffened, his shoulders tense. “Did…you still want to?”

Anna pulled back to look at him, worried. “Yes – unless…you don’t…?”

“No! I mean, yes, I want to. Uh, too.”

She smiled. “Good. When do you want to go?”

“Anytime works for me.”

“Really?” Anna asked. “What about work?”

“Uh…” Kristoff looked away from her and shrugged. “I’ve…been suspended, so I can –”

“Wait, what?” Anna pushed herself away from him, shocked. “Suspended? Wh–” Her hands flew to her mouth in realization. “For hitting my professor? Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” She felt _awful._

“Now why are you apologizing?” he asked, hands gently removing hers from her face. “None of what happened was your fault.”

“Did he turn you in?” Anna felt fresh anger rise in her chest.

“No, not after what he did. But since it was a beast related offense, the team working on it was able to track me down pretty fast.”

“I am _so_ sorry,” she stressed again.

“Please don’t apologize. Really, it’s okay. Since it was in your defense, I didn’t get too much heat for it; a suspension was getting off easy.”

“I can’t believe you got in trouble for helping me.”

“I would do it again.” His eyes and voice were entirely genuine.

Not knowing what else she could possibly say, Anna wrapped her arms around him again, smiling when he pulled her closer.

\------

They’d picked Saturday for their date so Anna could finish her finals without any distractions (although Kristoff was a _very_ good distraction).

When Saturday came, Anna could barely contain her excitement. Exams were over, it was winter break, and she was _finally_ going on a date with Kristoff.

She’d remembered to ask for his number, and she re-read their messages to each other multiple times. They weren’t anything huge: updates on their day and _many_ gifs and emojis from Anna’s side.

Kristoff wasn’t much of a texter, but he seemed engaged when they were, and Anna grinned at her phone like a thirteen-year-old talking to her crush.

She had it _bad._

He’d agreed to pick her up at six, and at five, Anna was in panic mode.

She’d triple-checked her make-up, did her hair five times before opting for two Dutch braids, and tried on practically every outfit she owned before picking black tights and a green, knee-length dress that complimented her hair the best.

Ugh, and then there were the _shoes._

She knew she was being slightly ridiculous – Kristoff seemed to liked her just fine with no make-up, messy hair, and dressed in old pajamas under his even older jacket, but she wanted to look really nice for him. She wanted to make him all red-faced and as bumbling as she was around him.

She couldn’t sit still, so by five-fifty, she was pacing around her flat, Olaf nearly tripping her as he wound his way around her ankles. Picking him up, Anna scratched between his ears where he liked and kissed his head when he began to purr.

She fed him his dinner and scratched down his back when she put him down before watching him trot over to his food dish. He was a chubby little thing and she loved him so much.

Maybe she could get him and Kristoff to get along.

Her phone buzzed in her purse and she immediately dug for it, beaming at Kristoff’s text.

_Downstairs._

It was simple and direct, but it still made her heart flutter in her chest. She quickly typed out a response. _Too good for the balcony now?_

She put on her coat and scarf as her phone chirped again.

_Figured I’d go the more traditional route tonight._

Anna but her lip with a grin. _Does that mean you’ll pay?_

_Only if you’re okay with McDonalds._

Anna laughed as another text followed right after.

_That was a joke._

Feeling light, Anna gathered her purse and turned off the main lights, bidding Olaf goodbye before she rushed out the door.

She could feel her heart pound against her chest as she took the elevator down and tried not to sprint outside.

She barely felt the cold as she opened the building’s front door and found Kristoff waiting by the stoop. He turned to look up at her and Anna lost her breath. “Hi,” she said excitedly, walking down the steps to join him.

Kristoff’s cheeks were pink, and maybe it was wishful thinking, but Anna didn’t think it was due to the cold.

“You look beautiful,” he said immediately, his flush deepening as soon as the words left his mouth.

Anna blushed herself, grinning as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. It took all she had not to tug on her braids in nervousness. “Thank you.” Her voice was softer than usual.

Although it was dark out, Kristoff’s hair shone in the streetlights.

“You do, too,” Anna blurted out. “I – I mean, y’know, good. You look really good, too. Handsome, I mean. Um –” She cringed inwardly at her mumbling.

But Kristoff just smiled in near disbelief and Anna felt her whole body heat up.

He was wearing the coat she gave him, too.

\------

“So, what’re you studying?” Kristoff asked as they walked down the crowded street.

They’d taken the subway part way and then walked the brightly lit streets. It was only six days until Christmas and Anna loved the joyful atmosphere.

They’d talked a bit, and Anna liked learning anything she could about him. As far as first dates went, this was already her favorite, and they hadn’t even gotten to the bar yet.

“Well, my major is communications,” she told him. “But…I don’t really know what I want to do yet. I mean, I’m going to be a senior next year; everyone says now’s the time to get serious about the future.” She furrowed her brows. “But I just – I feel like it’s a little unrealistic that I’m supposed to know what I want to do for the rest of my _life,_ y’know? Like, I kinda want to do everything! And I also want to help people, too. But I also love animals – I mean, there are just so many things! How am I supposed to pick just one?” Anna cringed, realizing she was rambling. “Sorry, I talk a lot sometimes.”

“I like hearing you talk.”

Anna looked up at Kristoff in surprise. He seemed a bit embarrassed at the confession, but she could only smile.

“And – just for the record,” he said as he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked away. “No matter what you do, you’ll help people. Because that’s just who you are.” He cleared his throat and focused his attention on the strands of lights above them. “Y’know, if you want.”

Anna’s smile grew and she gently bumped her shoulder against him. “What about you?” she asked as his adorable grin met hers. “Why did you decide to join the PSAB?”

He shrugged a shoulder. “I’m good at it and it helps keep beasts away from humans.”

“But you’re –” Anna clamped her mouth shut.

“I’m a beast, too, yeah.” Kristoff’s eyes were far away and filled with something Anna couldn’t identify. “Doesn’t really make sense on paper, huh?”

“I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I shouldn’t have – It’s not my business…I…”

“It’s okay,” he told her. “You’re right – it sounds weird. But do you remember what I told you that first night? That beasts have a scent?”

Anna nodded, a small blush covering her cheeks as she remembered the _other_ things that occurred that night.

“So, the best way to track down a beast is with another beast,” he explained. “And we’re more physically matched with each other than humans, so there’s a better chance of taking them down.”

“Oh,” Anna breathed out. That made total sense; why didn’t she think of that? She really didn’t know much about beasts – or him – yet, but she was going to change that. “So, have you always wanted to do that?”

Kristoff was quiet as he thought. “No. Maybe since I was sixteen.”

“Then what was your little-kid dream?”

“What?”

“You know,” Anna talked wildly with her hands, “how little kids always know _just_ what they want to be when they grow up? I don’t think I’ve ever been as sure about _anything_ as when I was six,” she joked.

Kristoff smiled. “What was yours?”

Crossing her arms, Anna stuck her chin up with a smirk. “I asked you first.”

Conceding, Kristoff bobbed his head. “Fine. I…I wanted to be a firefighter.”

“Aw!” Anna couldn’t stop the hand flying to her chest. “That is _so cute!_ ” She could see his blush as she smiled excitedly. “Oh my God, did you have one of those little outfits? With the helmet and uniform?”

Kristoff couldn’t help the grin on his face even through his embarrassment. “Wore it for Halloween three years in a row.”

Anna literally squealed. “I bet you were _so_ adorable! Little Kristoff in his firefighter costume!” She giggled when he smiled again.

“Okay – what was _yours?_ ” he asked again to take the attention off of himself.

“If it makes you feel any better, I had a ballerina outfit. And I didn’t just wear it on Halloween; my parents practically had to bribe me to take it off.” It was always bittersweet when she thought of those kinds of memories of her parents, but she liked sharing them with him.

When Kristoff breathed out a laugh, Anna felt her stomach flutter. “Oh, so you were one of those ballet kids?”

“Yup! Even took the classes and everything.”

“Didn’t work out for you?”

“I had some – well – a _lot_ of issues around the discipline aspect of it. And the patience. And grace. All I did was jump around like a frog and made the instructor cry a few times.”

Kristoff laughed again and nodded. “Oh yeah, I can see that.”

Anna laughed, too. “Turned out I just liked tutus, not the actually ballet part.” She smiled and tucked that loose strand of hair behind her ear. She hoped her hair still looked alright. “So why didn’t you become a firefighter? Not your true calling?” Her smile dropped when Kristoff looked down at her, his eyes seemingly lost.

“Something like that.”

Anna was about to ask if he was alright, when his gaze shot up and he quickly pulled her to him.

“Watch out!”

A man on a bike came whizzing past right where Anna was previously standing.

“Asshole,” Kristoff muttered. “He shouldn’t be riding on a sidewalk this busy.”

But Anna could only focus on the fact that they had stopped walking and she was pressed against his chest, his arms holding her securely around him. His warmth cut out the cold night and all she felt was his breathing under his jacket.

Wide-eyed, Anna looked up at him, his hair outlined by the Christmas lights.

Realizing their position, Kristoff immediately let her go and stepped back. “Uh…you okay?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck as he avoided eye-contact.

“…Uh-huh.” Anna already missed his warmth.

Glancing at her, Kristoff tipped his head forward and started walking again.

Anna wanted to ask him to hold her like that again. Like when he hugged her on her couch. Like when he carried her home. Instead, she kept the conversation light, topics focused on music and hobbies, so she could keep her mind off of how much she wanted to kiss him.

“What’s this place called again?” Kristoff asked.

“Hm? Oh!” Anna pulled herself out of her thoughts. “It’s called The Wild Fox; have you heard of it?”

He shook his head. “I…don’t get out much.”

She smiled. “Well, it’s great! It’s not crazy expensive – I mean, as far as bars go – and there’s dancing on the second floor.”

“Oh, uh, I don’t really –”

“Dance?” Anna finished. “Yeah, I figured, but…” She shrugged playfully and grinned up at him. “I thought maybe I’d be able to convince you.”

Kristoff smiled at the ground. “I thought you couldn’t dance either.”

“I can’t do _ballet,_ but I can dance. I’ve been told I’m actually pretty good at it, too.”

“You’re gonna have to prove that, Andal.” He raised a brow with a smirk. “Because now I’m just expecting frog jumps.”

“Is that a challenge?” Anna scrunched up her nose teasingly. “You’re on, Bjorgman. In exactly two blocks, you’re going to eat your words.”

“What do I get if I win and you suck?”

Laughing, Anna stuck her tongue out juvenility. “Well, I don’t, so what do I get _when_ I win and I’m awesome?”

“I’ll buy you a drink.”

“I thought you were already buying me a drink?”

“Then I’ll buy you another one.”

“You’re in trouble then, because I’m even better at it when I’m drunk, so I’m gonna prove you wrong _all_ night.”

Kristoff nodded in defeat. “Sounds like it’ll be worth it.”

When they got to the bar, there was a short line outside, so they waited as a bouncer checked people’s IDs.

“And don’t worry,” Anna said, turning back to him in line. “I won’t really make you dance; I was kidding.”

Kristoff moved closer as a group of people joined in the line behind them. “What if I want to?”

Face reddening, Anna once again took in how close he was. “D-do you?”

“Maybe it won’t be _too_ bad with you. _Maybe,_ ” he emphasized.

Still, Anna beamed up at him.

Suddenly, he looked intensely over her shoulder. But when Anna turned around, the next couple was just moving up in line; nothing seemed off.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“What? Oh, yeah.” But he looked nothing less than uncomfortable.

They moved to the front of the line and Anna gave the bouncer her ID. He looked at it for a moment before giving it back to her. She stepped to the side so Kristoff could fit, and he was clearly _nervous._ He looked reluctant as he gave his ID to the bouncer and Anna had _no_ idea why.

He’d told her he was twenty-four, and she believed him; there was _no way_ he could be under twenty-one, but he was looking away in the same guilty manner Anna did when she used a fake before her last birthday.

What was he so uneasy about?

The bouncer inspected his ID, then his eyes flicked up to Kristoff with a dark expression. “Sorry,” he said, shoving it back towards him.

Kristoff stiffened and blew air out of his nose, giving a curt nod in resignation. “Yeah. Okay.” He took his ID back, the bouncer clearly leaning away from him.

“Wait, what?” Confused, Anna turned on the bouncer. “What’s wrong? Why can’t he go in?”

“Anna –” Kristoff started, already stepping away.

“Miss,” the bouncer said, lowering his voice. “Do you have any idea what that man is?”

“What?” Anna glanced at Kristoff before turning back. “What are you talking about?”

“Miss…he’s a beast. Do you need help? I can call the police if you need me to.”

“ _What?_ ” Now furious, Anna shouted. “So? Just because he’s a beast, he can’t come in?”

“Anna, it’s fine,” Kristoff pleated.

“No, it’s not!”

Startled, the bouncer spoke up so anyone near could hear him. “We don’t serve his kind after dark. You need to get away from him before something happens.”

Anna looked at Kristoff again. He was staring at the ground and his shoulders were tense. “Are you fucking serious?” she asked, whirling back to the bouncer. She rarely swore at people like that, but she was _pissed._ “Kristoff would never hurt anyone!”

“ _Anna._ ” Kristoff’s voice was harsh.

When she turned back to face him, he had already turned away and began walking back up the street. Anna glared at the bouncer once more before running after Kristoff, leaving a shocked group of people behind her.

“Kristoff, wait!” She reached for his arm, but he ripped it away and continued to stalk up the street, the festive feelings gone.

“ _Shit,_ ” he muttered, hands running through his hair. He sighed and stopped, turning back to her. “Fuck, I’m sorry, Anna.”

Anna stumbled into him when he halted and looked at him incredulously. “What? No – Kristoff, that guy was an asshole; it’s not your fault. How did he even know?”

“It’s on our IDs. I just – I hoped he wouldn’t notice or – or _care_ …I’m so stupid.” Face hard, but eyes sad, Kristoff could barely look at her. “And he’s absolutely allowed to refuse me after dark.”

Stunned, Anna stared up at him, searching his face. “That…that’s legal?”

“Yeah. We’re even more likely to get triggered and transform after dark.” His mouth was a hard line and his hands were in fists.

“Don’t say that!” Anna argued. “Don’t say ‘we’ like you group yourself in with the bad ones! You would never hurt anyone!”

“You don’t know that!” Kristoff immediately regretted raising his voice and sighed again. “I’m sorry. You just…you don’t know that.”

“I do,” she said with all the certainty she had.

Kristoff was quiet for a moment as he watched happy, smiling people pass by. “You asked why I chose my job. Why I didn’t become a firefighter.”

Not sure where he was going, Anna nodded, wanting to understand.

“It’s because I’m not allowed to.”

“…What?” Her heart sunk deeper in her chest.

“Beasts aren’t allowed to work in certain fields. First responders, teachers, in kitchens or construction sites; the list goes on.”

Gasping, Anna’s eyes wandered as she thought. “Oh my God. I didn’t – I didn’t know. That’s…God, that’s _horrible._ ”

“No.” His tone was severe. “It’s necessary. Beasts can’t work where there could be accidents or human children, things like that. And you know why? It’s because we’re _dangerous,_ Anna. One slip up, and someone could end up _dead._ _Multiple_ people could get hurt.” He huffed like he was annoyed or angry. Angry at himself. “That guy was right: you should stay away from me.”

Anna felt a tightness in her chest from all the pain she saw in his eyes. “Kristoff, no.”

“This was a stupid idea; I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m sorry.” With that, he turned and walked away.

Anna stood on the sidewalk speechless and watched him go.

He really thought he was dangerous. He was worried that he would hurt her. Well, she wasn’t going to let him give up on himself – on _them_ – that easily.

She ran after him, her small heels clicking on the sidewalk. Wordlessly, she flung her arms around his waist from behind. “Don’t go.” She spoke into his coat.

Kristoff could have easily escaped her grasp, but he stopped walking and let her small form press against his back.

Anna pulled her face away to look up at the back of his head. “You saved me twice, Kristoff. _You_ did that. We’ve been alone multiple times and you’ve never done anything to hurt me. In fact, I…I _really_ like being around you. I already told you that I trust you; I need you to trust me now. Even if you don’t trust yourself, trust _my_ trust in you.” She paused for a second. “Does that make any sense?”

Silently, Kristoff pulled away. Anna reluctantly let him go, but was pleasantly surprised when he only turned to face her. Her arms were no longer around him, but Anna swore she could still feel the heat radiating from him. He looked deep into her eyes and she saw the warmth in his brown eyes, too.

Kristoff took a moment to sort out his thoughts before he finally responded. “I just want to make sure you fully understand what…I am.”

“I do,” Anna said without missing a beat. “And I don’t see anything dangerous about you.”

“Anna –”

Before he could refute her, Anna slipped her hand into his, silencing him. She smiled and simply began to walk again, trusting that he’d follow her.

He did.

They walked side by side, her hand tucked securely in his.

“I’m sorry it didn’t work out,” Kristoff said softly.

Anna shook her head. “Don’t be. I’m never going there again – I wouldn’t want to go to a place like that. I think I have a better idea.”

“Do you…want to go somewhere else?” he asked.

“We could get take out,” she suggested. “And go back to my place.” She glanced up at him nervously. “I mean, if that sounds good to you.”

The corner of his mouth corked up in a smile. “That sounds great.”

They interlaced their fingers as they walked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter, but these first few chapters are just establishing their relationship; the actual plot starts soon.
> 
> I also just wanted to say that the chapter titles are lines taken from the English translation of the song "Eclipse" by Shouta Aoi, which is the op for the anime this is based off of. (It slaps; definitely check the song out on Spotify lmao)


	4. Can I...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this one yesterday and honestly forgot lmao

Kristoff came over the next evening, and the one after that, then Anna began to invite him out during the day.

She pulled him along for movies or bowling, shopping and ice skating, and he never complained once. It turned out that he could cook (which Anna could _not_ ) and he would make them dinner.

That was only one of the things Anna learned about him; they talked for hours every day.

She’d never felt so comfortable with a man before – he listened and laughed with her and kept a respectful distance.

A little _too_ respectful for her taste.

Every day, they seemed to grow closer, but he always left over the balcony with a simple ‘good night’ and not even an _attempt_ at a kiss.

The way he talked with her, the way he looked at her, Anna was _sure_ he was interested. Maybe he was waiting for her to make the first move so she wouldn’t feel like he was forcing anything on her. She really appreciated that, but she _wanted_ to be kissed by him. She wanted to be held by him.

She needed to make that clearer.

Then, Christmas Day came and went. Anna attended a few Christmas parties, but she didn’t see Kristoff.

Then he sent her a text around nine p.m. _Merry Christmas._

Anna smiled at her phone and wished him one, too. Then, before she could talk herself out of it, she sent a gif of a sparkly mistletoe.

That might’ve been a bit too on the nose, so she held her breath as she watched those three daunting dots as Kristoff typed.

_I haven’t forgotten about your gift. I just haven’t found the right thing yet._

Okay, so he didn’t register the meaning of the gif at all, but Anna had honestly forgotten he’d promised her a Christmas gift and was touched that he was putting so much thought into it.

She wanted to send a heart emoji in response, but she wasn’t sure they were ready for _that_ yet, so she stuck with a smiley face.

She invited him over the day after Christmas, and every night after. They didn’t even need to text confirmation; Kristoff would just show up on her balcony.

Since nearly all of her friends had gone home for winter break, Anna lived for the days and evenings she spent with him. She even got him to pet Olaf (“Oh, Kristoff, look at him! He’s just a big sweetheart!”) and the cat began to warm up to the werewolf as well once he realized he wasn’t scary.

“He’s great, Elsa,” she told her sister when she called her the day before New Year’s Eve.

Elsa had been traveling the outback for the past two weeks, so she’d had limited cell service. The time difference was also a difficult factor, but the sister’s called whenever they could.

She’d wished Anna a late Merry Christmas, an early happy New Year, and told her all about her current travels. Anna loved every minute of it, excited and happy for her sister.

When she’d asked Anna what she was up to, she’d told her all about Kristoff. Well, not _everything;_ she left out the little ‘beast’ detail since Elsa was one to worry.

“I’m happy for you, but just be careful,” Elsa told her, her voice muffled over the phone.

Anna couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “ _Elsa._ I know I don’t have…the _best_ history with men, but Kristoff is different. I mean, he’s so sweet and, like, he even makes me _dinner_ when we don’t get take out and –”

“Wait – you let him into your apartment? And you’re sure you can trust him?”

That was Elsa – always the worrier.

“ _Yes._ I know I can trust him.”

“How’d you meet him?”

“Um…” Oh, shit. “Walking home from class. He…gave me a hand when I – uh – dropped my bag.”

Elsa hummed into the phone, then sighed. “I just…I don’t want you to get hurt like last time.”

Anna nodded, even though Elsa couldn’t see her. “I know. Last time sucked; he cheated on me –”

“And the guy before that stole money from you.”

“Okay, yeah. And the one before that was just a jackass – I know, I really know how to pick them. But Kristoff would never hurt me. In _any_ way.”

Anna believed that with all her heart, and it was only reinforced when he made her chicken marsala for dinner the next night and warned her three times that it was hot so she wouldn’t burn herself – they both knew she didn’t have the best track record for being patient when it came to eating hot foods.

“I could still take you out for real,” Kristoff said, sitting across from her at the table as they ate. He spoke as he looked at his plate, avoiding eye-contact.

Anna put her fork down. “What do you mean?”

“I mean…a real date. We never – I mean…you wanted to, right?”

There were two candles burning on the table along with two glasses of red wine. The lights were dimmed, the local news was playing softly in the background, and Christmas lights were still hung up.

Her flat had never looked more beautiful.

“This feels like a real date to me,” she said, smiling. “And we’ve gone on plenty of fun dates together.”

Kristoff looked at her with slight guilt in his eyes. “I meant like a real restaurant. They wouldn’t card me.”

“They would if you wanted to drink anything.”

“Then I wouldn’t drink anything.”

“Kristoff, that’s ridiculous.”

“You deserve to go out somewhere nice.”

“I don’t want to go anywhere where you wouldn’t feel welcome.”

“But it’s New Year’s Eve; don’t you –”

“I want to spend it with _you._ ” Anna reached over the table and grabbed his hand. That always shut him up, and he stopped trying to convince her that she should want something more than him. “This is lovely,” she said, gesturing to their meal. “But I liked it just as much when we ate Chinese food on the couch. I just want to be with you.”

Kristoff’s eyes widened and a hint of pink colored his cheeks.

Suddenly aware of herself, Anna took her hand back and grinned awkwardly. “Besides, the wine is cheaper,” she said, finishing her glass. She’d already had a bit more than she normally did, and she felt nice and warm.

It didn’t help that Kristoff was sitting across from her with _that_ smile on his face.

But then she noticed his smile drop and his eyes dull as his glance shifted over her shoulder. She turned around in her chair and her eyes locked on the T.V. as the sound came drifting over.

“I’m coming to you live from Speedy’s Diner, where just fifteen minutes ago, a gruesome murder occurred; one believed to be a beast attack.” The news anchor spoke professionally as she detailed what they knew so far about the crime.

Blue and red lights flashed as cops blocked off onlookers and investigators assumingly with the PSAB worked the scene.

Anna peeked at Kristoff, whose face she couldn’t read.

“The suspect is a member of the waitstaff, but it’s thought he went into the kitchen, which is off limits to beasts, where the attack occurred,” the reporter continued. “His current whereabouts are unknown, so the PSAB is encouraging people to stay inside, as he’s likely dangerous.”

“Sorry,” Anna said, standing up. “I’ll turn it off.”

“No, it’s fine.” Kristoff picked up his wine glass casually, but Anna could see the slight frustration in his eyes.

“Do you think your team is working on that?” she asked, sitting back down.

The story changed and Kristoff nodded. “Probably. There are usually a few squads working a case depending on the jurisdiction, and that place is in our area. So, yeah. Probably.”

Anna picked up her fork and played with the remaining food on her plate. “Do you wish you were with them?” Guilt grew in her stomach.

“I wish I could stop that guy from hurting anyone else,” he said. “But selfishly…no. I’m glad I’m not there.”

Surprised, Anna glanced up at him. “Why?”

“Because then I wouldn’t be here. With you,” he finished, staring down at his plate.

God, they were both so awkward.

A wide smile spread across Anna’s face as she picked at the wooden table nervously. “I’m really glad you’re with me, too.”

His smile caused her heart to lodge in her throat and she needed more wine to shove it back down.

After dinner, they moved to the couch and Anna changed the channel to _Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve._

“Have you ever gone to Times Square for the ball drop?” Anna asked, sipping her wine before eating one of the many chocolate treats, she’d set out for their mini-celebration.

It was only a bit after ten, so they had nearly two hours to go, and Anna was _really_ hoping for a midnight kiss…although she certainly wouldn’t mind if they started early.

“God no,” Kristoff told her. “Crowds aren’t my thing. And beasts have a strong sense of smell, remember? I can practically smell it from here.”

Anna laughed and lounged against the couch. “As a human who _has_ gone, I can tell you that you’re absolutely right; it’s _insane._ You can barely move, and you’d think the cold would cut the smell – it does _not._ ”

Kristoff crooked a grin. “You’ve been? I thought real New Yorkers didn’t do that stuff.”

“Aren’t you from Boulder?” Anna asked, remembering the one piece of information about his past she’d managed to get out of him. He’d told her he was originally from Boulder, Colorado, but that’s all she knew. “How would you know what ‘real New Yorkers’ do?” she teased.

“Yeah, well.” He rubbed the back of his head.

She’d noticed that the few times she did ask him about his past, or brought it back up, he got really quiet really fast. Of course she was curious, but if he didn’t want to talk about it, she wasn’t going to force him. “Well, as a real New Yorker,” she smiled to lighten the mood again, “I felt like I had to go at least once! And it was pretty fun, but surprisingly, everyone’s all sweaty and breathing in your face, the amount of trash is like a hundred times worse, and I saw three people peeing.”

Relaxed again, Kristoff placed his glass on the table before leaning back. “Knew it.”

Biting her lip, Anna watched Kristoff as he leaned against her couch, his arm resting across the back.

A question formed in her head, and normally, Anna would’ve been too embarrassed to ask, but the wine made her extra bold. “So…” she began, snuggling into the couch as she brought her knees to her chest. “Humans have scents, right? Like, you can smell people?”

Kristoff nodded casually. “Yeah, so I don’t even want to _think_ about what that place smells like right now.”

Anna giggled distractedly, then suddenly stopped as she looked at him through her lashes. The question was screaming at her in the back of her mind and she _had_ to know the answer. “So, can you…smell me?”

The playful expression on his face fell as Kristoff turned beet red and pulled his arm back to himself. “Wh–” he cleared this throat. “What?”

Anna saw him swallow nervously and a sly smile curved over her wine-stained lips. “I asked if you could smell me.”

Immediately, Kristoff looked away, staring at the coffee table, his neck turning as red as his face.

“You can, can’t you?” Anna didn’t _need_ him to say it – his expression confirmed it – but she wanted to hear it.

“…Yes,” he said, so quietly that Anna had to strain to hear him.

Slowly bringing her legs back to the floor, Anna scooted closer to him. “Do I smell good?”

Kristoff’s eyes shot up to the ceiling, his hands curling into fists on his lap.

“Kristoff?” she asked again, leaning closer. “Do I smell good? Or bad? Because if you don’t answer, I’m going to think the worst.”

Kristoff mumbled something under his breath, still refusing to look at her.

“What?”

“ _Good._ ” He spoke clearly, his voice suddenly gruff as his eyes snapped back to her.

A sudden, sharp spark ran down Anna’s spine when he looked at her. His eyes were dark – darker than before. She swore she’d seen that flash of gold before. When…when he’d sucked the blood off of her finger.

A lightheadedness that had nothing to do with the wine took over.

Kristoff didn’t look away as he leaned over, his fingers digging into the couch cushions. “ _Really_ good.”

Breathless, Anna’s hand drifted onto his leg. “What do I smell like?” She could only whisper.

Suddenly, Kristoff grabbed her wrist, not enough to hurt, but strong enough for the pads of his fingers to press into her skin. Anna saw his slight claws as he raised her hand off his leg.

“Anna…don’t –” He could barely speak.

“What do I smell like?” She wasn’t going to back down and stared deep into his eyes.

“In–” Eyes growing darker, Kristoff pulled her flush against him. “ _Intoxicating._ ”

Small chest pressed against his broad one, Anna swore her heart jumped right out of her body and molded with his. “You can smell me,” she told him, her breaths coming out in quick huffs. “I _want_ you to smell me. I – I want you to…to taste me, Kristoff.”

His free hand wound around her body and pressed into her lower back. She heard him grumble somewhere deep in his throat and she shivered against him.

“I can’t –” Elongated canines revealed themselves as he struggled to speak. He angled his head down, his breath ghosting against the side of her neck. “I don’t know if…I can control myself.”

His eyes were so dark, Anna thought she had gone blind for a moment. When he dipped his head towards her neck, her eyes fluttered shut and her head fell back, exposing her throat further. “What if…I don’t want you to?” she gasped. She would do anything to keep his hands on her.

There was a loud thump on her balcony and Kristoff let her go, jumping up and leaving Anna to fall forward, her face hitting a pillow.

“Wha–” She pushed herself up and turned around. Her heart froze in her chest when she saw a man lying down right outside her sliding door.

“Help me!” he said through the window, scrambling up from his position on the ground.

Kristoff rushed to the door and locked it; his hand grasped the handle for extra measure. “What do you want?” he asked, his voice deeper than usual.

“Please – you have to help me!” The man pressed his hand against the glass, his shaggy brown hair covering his eyes.

Anna hurried over, but Kristoff held out a hand to keep her from getting too close.

“You’re a beast,” he said simply.

The man nodded wildly. “Yes – but you are too! I picked up your scent and followed it – please! I need you help – I didn’t do it! And no one will believe me – you’ve gotta believe me! We gotta stick together, right? _Please._ ” He was literally begging with his hands clasped in front of him.

Anna stepped closer. What was he talking about? But he looked disheveled and absolutely desperate. “Kristoff, he needs help –”

“Stay back, Anna.”

She noticed that his slightly visible beastly features began to diminish; still visible, but to a lesser extent.

The eyes of the man outside snapped to Anna and he nodded fervently. “Yes! Please – I didn’t do anything, but they all think it was me!”

“You’re the one they’re looking for, aren’t you?” Kristoff asked him. “For the diner attack.”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t me! I – I saw it happen and I ran, but I didn’t do anything! Please,” he begged. “It’s so cold.”

Anna felt her heart ache for the stranger. “Kristoff, we should let him in.”

“What? Anna, we can’t just believe what he says,” he told her.

“Yes, you can!” The man shrugged wildly, then turned back to Anna. “Hey, lady, you know your boyfriend is a beast too, right?”

Flushing, Anna glanced up at Kristoff and sputtered. “B-boyfriend? Oh, no, we – I mean…we’re just…um –” _Boyfriend?_ What _were_ they? They’d gone out multiple times and spent nearly every evening together, and right before this stranger showed up, it certainly _seemed_ like something was about to happen. And why was some strange man causing her to contemplate her maybe relationship?

“ _That’s_ what you’re concerned about?” he asked, a brow raised in disbelief. “I mean, he’s a _beast._ ” He pursed his lips and leaned casually against the door. “Besides, it’s pretty obvious; you’re spending New Year’s Eve together, right?”

“Um, well –”

“What’s your name?” Kristoff cut in, face red.

“My friend’s call me C-man.”

Kristoff looked so annoyed that Anna thought he might take the guy down right then.

“I _obviously_ meant your real name.”

“It wasn’t _that_ obvious if I didn’t get it. Be clearer next time.”

“I swear to God –”

Anna put her hand on Kristoff’s arm to calm him down, his frustration evident. His minor claws dug into the door handle.

“Kristoff works for the PSAB,” she explained to the man. “He can help you, but only if you help him, too.”

The man sighed, his breath disappearing into the night. “Okay – my name is Charlie Thompson.”

“Age?” Kristoff asked.

“Thirty-two.”

Taking his phone out of his pocket, Kristoff dialed a number and placed the phone to his ear, keeping the door firmly closed with the other hand.

Charlie huffed and wrapped his arms around his body. “Come on, man, let me in; it’s freezing.”

“Maren?” Kristoff spoke into the phone, ignoring Charlie completely. “Yeah, I got a guy here – Charlie Thompson, thirty-two. Is this the suspect?”

“But I didn’t –” Charlie shut up at Kristoff’s glare.

“Says he’s innocent,” Kristoff said into the phone, then waited as the person on the other end spoke.

Anna studied Charlie’s face, and he looked _scared._ It must have been terrifying to be accused of this sort of thing, especially as a beast.

If a beast kills a person, they’re locked away for life. No acceptations. And Anna had no idea what those containment centers were like.

Kristoff straightened up, raising a brow. “No shit? Yeah, okay. I can bring him –” He slouched the slightest bit and lowered his voice. “No, really, I can just – fine.”

He glanced at Anna and she smiled at him encouragingly.

“You can just track my location,” he continued, annoyance clear on his face. “Because I – look, I gotta go. Just – yeah, I’ll be here.” He hung up and looked at Charlie through the door. “Guess you didn’t do it.”

Charlie threw his hands up. “I told you! Can you let me in now?”

Turning to Anna, Kristoff’s gaze softened. “Are you okay with that? It’s up to you.”

“Oh, yeah! Of course!” Anna smiled kindly at Charlie outside, then back at Kristoff. “We should help him.”

“Don’t you think you’re a little _too_ trusting?” His voice was low and his eyes were concerned.

Anna placed her hand back on his arm and felt his warmth. “No.” She looked into his eyes and unconsciously rubbed her thumb over his sleeve. “I like believing in people.”

“I know.” Color rose to his cheeks. “That’s what makes you so –” He cut himself off, glancing away.

“Makes me so what?” she asked, voice soft as well.

“So you.”

Charlie knocked on the door. “Hello? Uh – are you gonna let me in or what? It’s really fucking cold, man.”

Snapping out of their private moment, Anna blushed and let go of Kristoff’s sleeve as he unlocked the door and slid it open.

He blocked the entrance before Charlie could step in. “If you do _anything_ to her, I’ll kill you, understand? Just stand there and don’t touch anything.”

Although he wasn’t facing her, Kristoff’s gruff voice pierced Anna’s ears with its defensiveness. He was calm, but there was a possessiveness simmering in his tone like a wild dog protecting its territory.

A shiver unrelated to the cold ran through her body.

“Yeah, okay,” Charlie said, slipping into the apartment. “I got it – she’s your woman and all that.”

“She’s not my –!” Kristoff scowled and closed the door shut.

Charlie stuck his hands in his pockets and whistled as he glanced around Anna’s flat. “You guys got a nice place.”

“Oh, uh –”

“Well, it um…” Anna grinned awkwardly and clasped her hands behind her back. “Feel free to sit down,” she told him, gesturing to the couch.

“Your boyfriend told me to stand, so…” Shrugging, Charlie stood by the T.V., watching _Rockin’ Eve._

Anna flushed at the ‘boyfriend’ line again; she liked hearing it a bit _too_ much.

“Nice set,” he said, inspecting the screen. “Hey, you ever go to this thing before? It’s pretty fun, but let me tell you, it smells like _ass._ ”

“Just sit down,” Kristoff muttered.

“Cool.” Charlie made himself at home, lounging on the couch and taking one of the chocolates for himself. “Hey, you guys got any food? I’m starving.”

Anna was more than happy to help anyone in need, but it was going to be a _long_ night.

\------

Kristoff leaned against the wall and checked his watch for the tenth time and huffed.

When he’d called Maren, she’d informed him that Charlie had been framed – the victim was killed with a knife and the killer did a piss poor job trying to make it look like a beast mauling.

Still, they needed to question him as a witness, so they would come pick him up when they were done at the scene.

That had been over half an hour ago.

Sure, the guy didn’t do it, but did Kristoff have to babysit him until his team got there? Hell, he was _suspended._ How was this even his problem? He knew he was being unfair, but he figured he was allowed to be a _bit_ frustrated that his night with Anna was interrupted.

He glanced over at her and she was on the couch with Charlie, talking to him and making him comfortable in the way only she could. She drank out of her wine glass and rolled her eyes playfully when she made eye contact with him before turning her attention back to their unexpected guest.

She was just…so _good._

He had to admit: it was probably for the best that this happened. He wouldn’t have been able to forgive himself if he’d hurt her. But those things she was saying… What she was giving him permission for…

Having reverted back into his full human form, he could _feel_ his body begging to change. He could still feel her small, soft body pressed against him; smell her as her long, perfect neck curved back – his fangs mere inches from her skin.

His thoughts of Anna were threating to take him over. And he couldn’t let that happen.

Feeling heat creep up his neck, Kristoff texted Maren and asked for an eta. “Ten minutes,” he told the two people on the couch, trying to keep his voice steady.

“And you _promise_ I’m not in trouble?” Charlie asked for the millionth time.

“ _Yes._ ” Kristoff had to resist rolling his eyes. “Running like you did was pretty stupid, but you’re not in trouble. They just have to take you in for questioning to get the full details of what happened.”

For the first time that night, Charlie’s voice was quiet. “I ran because…when he stabbed her, I – the smell was too much. I…I _had_ to run before I really did hurt someone.”

“Don’t feel bad,” Anna told him. “You did the right thing. I’m sure Kristoff feels the same way.” She looked at Kristoff, a brow raised as if to say _make him feel better._

He set his jaw, but gave a quick nod. “Yeah.”

“Thanks guys,” Charlie said, his voice rising back to its original, obnoxious volume. “Man, I picked the right scent to follow, huh?”

Kristoff just looked up at the ceiling, wondering where the cat was. Probably under the bed. Maybe he could get Charlie to bother _him_ instead.

Charlie spoke again, just as loud. “You know, speaking of that, you’re like, _really_ pretty,” he said to Anna. “And you also smell really good, too. But, it’s a beast thing though, so like, it’s not as weird as it sounds.”

“Oh…” Anna’s wine-pinkened cheeks darkened, remembering their previous conversation.

Kristoff pushed himself off the wall. “That’s enough.” He grabbed the other man’s collar and pulled him off the couch.

“Ow!” Charlie complained as he was pulled along. “Hey, man, I was just complimenting –”

Kristoff all but dragged him across the floor and dropped him in a kitchen chair. “Sit here and _don’t move._ Actually, stop talking.” He was being harsh, he knew, but like hell he was going to let this beast openly drool over Anna like that. He didn’t feel threatened – he could take this guy in a fight _easily_ – but the chance that he was making her uncomfortable was _not_ a chance he was willing to take.

“Kristoff, it’s okay,” Anna said, standing up before stumbling slightly.

“Anna –” Crossing the room, Kristoff gently steadied her. “Are you alright?”

“Yup!” She smiled up at him, her eyes shining.

Kristoff swore his heart stopped.

“I think I just drank a _little,_ ” she held her thumb and index finger close together, “bit too much.” She giggled and Kristoff felt sweat bead down his back.

Her apartment was suddenly boiling.

“Can I have some of this?” Charlie asked from the table, holding up the nearly empty wine bottle.

“What did I say?” Kristoff asked, turning back to glare at him.

Still holding her, Anna’s body leaned into his when he turned. Warmth went through his chest as she hung onto him. Her body seemed to mold right against his side perfectly.

When she sat back on the couch, he missed the feeling instantly. He awkwardly joined her, sitting on the other end, trying to focus his attention on the obnoxious musical performance on screen. Anna was right there, all he had to do was reach over and pull her back to his side –

“I can’t really hear too well from over here,” Charlie called over. “Can you turn it up?”

Kristoff had to resist the urge to throw that man over the balcony for the third time that night.

Finally, E squad arrived in what felt like hours later. The whole ordeal was really just under an hour.

Kristoff sighed in relief when his phone buzzed and Maren told him they were there.

“Hey, can I pee before I go?” Charlie asked.

“You’ve been here for over forty-five minutes,” Kristoff sighed.

“The bathroom is right there,” Anna told him, pointing to the door.

“Thanks!” He jogged to the bathroom and closed the door.

“That guy is so lucky you’re here,” Kristoff told her. “I would’ve thrown him out on the street by now.”

Anna looked at him with a glint in her eye and smiled. “No, you wouldn’t. Because you help people.”

Stunned, Kristoff just looked at her. She saw the best in people; the best in him. Didn’t she know how risky that was? Why did she sit so close to him? Why did she look at him with such trust?

She moved closer.

When his phone buzzed again, Kristoff nearly jumped out of his skin. He stood up and checked his phone, finding it easier to think when he wasn’t as close to her. “When he comes out, I’ll take him down to the front.”

“Oh, I’ll come!” Anna carefully stood up, slightly tipsy.

“You can just wait up here.”

“But I want to say bye.” She was practically pouting, so Kristoff really couldn’t say anything against it.

They finally got Charlie out of the apartment and Kristoff convinced Anna to stay in the lobby by the front door while he walked him out. She wasn’t wearing a coat for one thing, and he knew his team was about to give him a hard time over his whereabouts; he didn’t want to get her involved.

“Bye, Charlie!” Anna said, waving as they opened the front door.

“Bye, Anna! Thanks for letting me crash here for a bit.”

“Felt longer,” Kristoff mumbled.

“I really like your girlfriend; she’s a keeper,” Charlie told him as they walked down the front steps.

“For the last time,” Kristoff pressed, shoving his hands into his pockets. It really was fucking freezing. “We’re not…together or anything.”

“If you say so.” But he sounded unconvinced. As if this was any of his business. “Oh, hey, do I get a phone call?”

Thankfully, Mattias and Maren stepped out of the black car parked in front of the building before Kristoff lost his patience.

“You’re not arrested,” Maren told Charlie as they walked up to them. “Didn’t Kristoff tell you that?”

“Oh, right.”

“You could have used the phone this _entire_ time,” Kristoff said, gritting his teeth.

“Bjorgman.” Mattias reached out to shake his hand. “Thanks for keeping watch over him; lucky how this worked out.”

Kristoff wouldn’t exactly call it lucky for _him,_ but he nodded and shook his boss’s hand.

Taking his hand back, Mattias leaned in and lowered his voice. “And I really am sorry about the suspension; it was the best I could do.”

“Oh, yeah. Don’t – don’t worry about it.”

Mattias grinned and clasped his shoulder. “Can’t wait to have you back on the team.”

Kristoff nodded, then watched as Mattias’ eyes drifted over his shoulder. His smile turned playful and he quirked an eyebrow.

Turning, Kristoff followed his line of sight to see Anna standing inside, looking out of the double glass doors with her arms wrapped around herself.

“So _this_ is where you’ve been running off to, hm?”

Eyes widening, Kristoff stuttered and shook his head. “No – I mean – it’s not –”

Mattias laughed and held his hands up. “We’ll take him off your hands and you can get back to your night.” He winked and Kristoff was mortified.

He and Anna weren’t – they wouldn’t – “Really, sir, it –”

But Mattias had already turned to Charlie, walking him to the car. “We just have to take you in for a few questions and get your statement, then you’re free to go. I’m sorry you got caught up in this.”

Charlie apparently had a few more questions of his own, but Kristoff was just glad he was bothering Mattias with them instead of him.

Maren walked over to him and smirked, glancing at the front door. “She’s cute,” she said, not looking at him.

Trying to hold back the blush he knew was on his face, Kristoff didn’t respond.

Maren looked up at him, her tone teasing. “And _human._ Interesting choice.”

Kristoff looked at her, shocked. “How… I mean –”

“Please.” She shrugged and turned back to face the car. “I can smell her _all_ over you.”

Kristoff’s heart began to race at the implication. “She’s just –” He cut himself off and took a breath. “A friend.”

“Well _that_ sounded convincing.” She gave him a knowing grin for a moment before it dropped. “She’s the one you were suspended over, right?” The teasing tone in her voice was replaced with pure curiosity.

“I would have done that for anyone,” Kristoff said to avoid the question.

“I know. But why were you there in the first place?”

He didn’t have anything but incriminating answers, and she could tell.

“I know you, Kristoff,” Maren said, watching as Charlie finally shut up and let Mattias help him into the back of the car. “You’re a protector. And you wouldn’t be able to forgive yourself if you hurt someone. So I’m asking you as a friend to be careful; humans make it too easy to lose control.”

Kristoff could only stare at the ground. She knew him too well.

“Nattura.” Mattias called over to Maren as he climbed into the driver’s seat.

“Well,” Maren said, voice light again as she smiled. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, Krissy!” she called as she opened the passenger side door.

Embarrassed and cringing at the hated nickname, Kristoff crossed his arms. “You’re way off, Honey,” he called back. “It’s not like that.”

Maren flipped him off at the use of her first name, then grinned smugly. “I expect to hear all the details at Oaken’s later.”

Kristoff just retuned the middle finger, unamused.

She laughed and waved him off, and Kristoff waited until the car pulled away before going back inside the apartment building.

He didn’t know why he was so nervous; probably because they would finally be alone. But they’d been alone multiple times, why was this time any different? Would they…pick up where they left off? Where exactly _did_ they leave off?

Anna opened the door for him, then stepped back as he entered.

“…Hey,” he said.

“Hey,” she said back, glancing up at him before looking away.

Hands in his pockets, Kristoff looked around the lobby for a moment before speaking again. “Uh…weird night.”

“Yeah, definitely.” Anna gave him a quick smile before glancing away again. She seemed as nervous as he did.

“Should…we go back up, or…”

“Oh, yeah. Um, okay.” She pulled her arms close to her body and turned to head back to the elevators.

Kristoff followed her and they stood quietly by the elevators staring in opposite directions.

The ding of the opening door echoed through the empty hall.

“So…” Anna started softly as they rode up in silence. “That woman you work with is really pretty.”

“Hm?” Finally looking at her, Kristoff could barely see her face since it was obscured by her hair as she looked at the floor. “What? Oh, Maren?” He shrugged and stared at the metal door. “I guess.” He heard her sniff and whipped his head over to find her crying. “Anna?” Alarmed, he bent closer to her, gently holding her arm so she’d look at him. “Anna, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Wiping at her tears, Anna sniffed and nodded. “I’m fine – I’m just kinda drunk.”

The door opened and she all but ripped her arm away and stalked down the hall.

Something was definitely wrong.

“Anna, what –” Kristoff followed her into the hall.

“I just –” She huffed and wiped at her cheeks again. “I know we’re not – I mean…we’re just…” When they got to her door, she hugged her arms around herself again and glared at the floor. “I just wish that if you were… _involved_ with someone else, you would have told me.”

“Wait, _what?_ ” Kristoff stepped in front of her, dipping his head to look her in the eye. “Are you talking about Maren? She’s just a friend.”

Anna looked up at him and the shine in her eyes hurt him more than he wanted to admit. “I could hear you near the end. You were saying how it wasn’t like that and she – she called you ‘Krissy’. And you…I heard you call her ‘honey.’” Her voice hitched.

“Oh – oh, God no, Anna.” Before he could stop himself, Kristoff gently touched her cheek. “She was just messing with me. It’s just a dumb nickname and she knows I hate it. And her _name_ is Honey. It’s her first name and she can’t stand it; we were just messing with each other. That’s all.”

Anna sniffed again and her wide, round eyes looked into his. “That’s it?”

“That’s it. Also,” Kristoff told her, “she’s openly gay. I am _so_ not her type. There is nothing there, I promise.”

Anna covered her face with her hands and shook her head. “I’m such an idiot.”

Kristoff grinned and pulled her close. He wrapped his arms around her, suddenly feeling like he needed her to be as close as possible. “No, you’re not.”

Anna returned his embrace, pressing her face into his chest. “I’m so stupid.”

Kristoff just held her, unconsciously placing his lips on the top of her head. His chest felt strangely light.

“Should we…go in?” Anna asked, not loosening her grip.

“Oh…right.” Unreasonably disappointed, he let her go and she unlocked the door.

The T.V. was still on and they made their way back to the couch. Kristoff couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face with Anna immediately curled into his side, but he suddenly didn’t have the courage to wrap his arm around her again.

Anna yawned and looked back to the T.V. “There’s still a while until midnight.”

“Yeah,” Kristoff said. He grinned as he watched her eyes begin to drift shut. “You gonna make it?”

Sleepily, she smiled up at him and nodded against his chest.

Kristoff’s breath suddenly lodged in his throat.

“Who falls asleep before midnight on New Year’s E–” Anna cut herself off with another yawn.

Kristoff felt an unfamiliar ache in his chest as she snuggled into him, her fingers gently curling into his shirt.

Anna lazily watched the advertisements as they played across the screen; Kristoff watched her.

“Hey, it’s your home,” she slurred, half asleep as she pointed to the T.V.

Forcing himself to tear his gaze away from her, Kristoff looked towards the screen. A travel ad for Colorado showed mountains covered in snow before switching to smiling people riding horses across a grassy field, then equally happy people fishing and mountain climbing. Instrumental music played as a calm voice described all the scenery and attractions the state had to offer. “Colorado,” he said plainly.

“Mm-hmm.” Her head dipped slightly as she tried to stay awake. “I…never asked if you wanted to go home for New Years. I just invited you over, I’m sorry. I should have asked if you wanted to go home.”

Kristoff was quiet for a moment as the ad ended and switched to a beer commercial. “No, uh…” His brows furrowed and he shook his head slightly. “I don’t really…have a home there anymore.”

Anna’s voice was so quiet he was sure she was nearly out. “I have a different home now, too. It’s just me and Elsa now. And she’s not here. I’m so glad you’re here. But it’s so pretty.”

“What is?” he asked softly, feeling like if he spoke any louder, he’d wake up from whatever dream he was in.

“Colorado,” Anna answered. “It’s so pretty. I’ve always wanted to go there.”

Kristoff thought back to the ad, the state he grew up in captured in a much more positive light for gullible tourists. He’d sworn to himself that he would never go back. But if it was with Anna… “I’ll take you,” he whispered. He would go anywhere with her.

_What?_ He shook his head, startled by his own thoughts. What the hell was he saying?

He looked at Anna, worried that she’d heard him. He felt his heart constrict when he saw that she’d fallen asleep. Her head lolled to the side, resting on his chest, lips parted as her small breathes caused a loose strand of hair to dance across her face.

God, did she know how beautiful she was?

A snort left her mouth as she shifted and Kristoff laughed, gently tucking the piece of hair behind her ear.

Anna pressed against him and mumbled as her hand fell from his stomach to his thigh. Kristoff’s breath hitched, freezing in place, his eyes focused on the ceiling as he tried to ignore how warm her hand was. Her slim fingers seemed to grip at his pant leg. He took a deep breath, trying to calm down his sudden racing heart.

Looking down, Kristoff planned to move her hand, but his gaze landed on her chest, where he could see down the front of her dress to the lacy, white bra underneath.

Anna nuzzled against him again, a soft sigh slipping from her lips.

_Jesus Christ._

Sweat beading on the back of his neck, Kristoff couldn’t swallow or breathe or _think._ All he knew was that he needed to get out of there; he couldn’t calm down.

As carefully as he could, he shifted her so she laid against the other end of the couch, her hand sliding off his thigh. He clumsily pushed himself off the couch and rushed to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Hurriedly, he reached for the sedatives on his belt and injected himself in the arm, falling against the counter, taking deep breaths.

What was wrong with him? He was shaking.

Kristoff looked in the mirror and inspected his eyes and teeth, double and triple checking that he wouldn’t transform in _any_ way.

He shouldn’t be going through his sedatives as quickly as he was, but something was happening to him.

Anna was just so…

Running his fingers through his hair, Kristoff closed his eyes, Anna’s scent lingering throughout the bathroom.

She smelled _incredible._ Addicting. And she was so _soft._

He wanted to touch her.

She…she said he could smell her. She told him he could – he could _taste_ her.

_Fuck._

Gripping the counter, Kristoff took another set of deep breaths, forcing himself to focus on those instead of the alluring scent drifting from the towels hanging on the door.

What was he even doing there?

He’d told Maren that Anna was just a friend, but obviously that wasn’t completely true. He wouldn’t go out on dates like that with anyone else; he wanted to do anything and everything with her. He imagined things about her that he _certainly_ didn’t think about with anyone else. So then…what _was_ she?

A complete stranger called her his girlfriend and suddenly that was the only word that came to mind.

But she wasn’t his anything. She _couldn’t_ be his anything.

He was such an idiot; she’s _human._ Any beast in their right mind knew to stay away from humans. They’re always only one mistake away from killing their partner.

But he’d never met anyone quite like her. In all his past relationships (very short, very limited relationships), they liked each other well enough, but there was nothing really there. All his past girlfriends (again, a rather limited amount) were beasts, so it felt like they were together simply because they were available. And because they could. And because it was safe.

But Anna was kind and funny and caring and _beautiful_ – and when her hand touched his, his skin felt like it was on fire.

He fucked up. Why couldn’t he just stay away from her? When he wasn’t with her, she was the only thing he thought about. He missed working; he needed something else to occupy his mind. But he loved spending all his time with her.

Christ, he was a mess.

It took another few minutes before Kristoff felt calm enough to leave the bathroom.

The T.V. played through the apartment as he quietly made his way over to the couch. Anna was sprawled out in what looked to be an uncomfortable position. He should’ve left immediately, but he didn’t want to leave her like that.

This was his problem: why couldn’t he just go and leave her alone? But she _did_ look uncomfortable. He gently lifted her off the couch bridal style and took her over to her bed.

“Kristoff?” Anna slurred, half-asleep.

“Hey. Sorry, did I wake you?”

She wasn’t conscious enough to respond as her eyes drifted shut again.

Keeping her close against him with one arm, Kristoff pulled back the sheets and carefully laid her down. He took off her shoes before covering her with the pink comforter, making sure she was settled.

Olaf came out from under the bed and jumped up, meowing as he curled into her side protectively.

Lucky cat.

Taking the feline’s appearance as his cue to leave, Kristoff took one last look at Anna, the pull in his chest tightening as he turned to leave.

Then a small, soft hand unexpectedly grabbed his.

Kristoff whirled around; Anna’s blue eyes were half-lidded as she lazily held a few of his fingers in her grasp.

“Is it midnight?” she croaked out.

A soft smile spread across his face. “Not yet.”

A sleepy pout pressed her lips together.

All Kristoff wanted to do was kiss her. Instead, he curled his fingers and gave her hand a slight squeeze. “I should get going.”

“But I wanted…” Anna’s hand slipped from his as she started to doze off again. “At midnight…” Her eyes closed and her breathing evened out.

“…Goodnight, Anna.”

Kristoff turned off the T.V. and went for the balcony before he remembered that he couldn’t lock it from the outside. Making sure it was locked, he turned off the rest of the lights and opened her front door, the light from the hall drifting into her flat.

When he took another look at her sleeping form, Olaf poked his head up, acknowledgment in his eyes. Although it took some time, Kristoff came around to the cat and vice versa. They seemed to have a similar understanding.

Protect Anna.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the actual plot plot starts next chapter, so that means more action than before (which I've admitted I'm not great at), but still focused on the romance because we're all here for one thing lmao
> 
> Also, have a happy new year everyone <3 Here's to hoping next year is MUCH better than this one

**Author's Note:**

> This story contains quite a bit of violence, a whole lotta blood, an instance of sexual assault (which I will warn about before the chapter it occurs), a ton of sexual content, strong language - but y’all saw the rating. Just a warning.


End file.
